SUFFOLK CLOSEUP
Karl Grossman
“Whether New York can reach the 70% goal by 2030 is a matter of social and political willpower. It is not a question of technology or economics,” says Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson, a top energy expert, about New York Governor Kathy Hochul and two state agencies saying New York won’t be able to reach its goal of 70% of electricity generated by renewables by 2030.
Jacobson is author of the 2023 book “No Miracles Needed: How Today’s Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air.” His work was key in the development of plans and target dates for expanding renewable energy in New York State. He is the director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program and professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University in California.
“Today” Jacobson told me last week, “California reached 100% wind-water-solar (WWS) renewable electricity on its main grid for part of the day for the 100th day this year and in fact the 100th day out of the past 144. WWS includes wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power. The state will be nearly 60 percent WWS in the annual average this year and 70% within two to three years.”
“There is no reason New York cannot follow suit simply by building out large amounts of rooftop PV [photovoltaic converting sunlight to electricity] + batteries, utility PV + batteries, offshore wind, some onshore wind, using hydroelectric as a means of filling in gaps in supply, and using demand response to shift the time of some electricity use,” said Jacobson.
Jacobson also sent his most recent plan “for transitioning New York for all energy purposes to 100% WWS.” He said: “Such a transition will reduce energy needs 61.7 % per year, reduce annual energy costs 56.4 %, reduce annual social costs—energy plus health plus climate costs—by 82.6%, use only about 1.3 to1.4% of the state’s land area, produce about 300,000 long-term, full-time jobs, save 2,150 lives per year from air pollution, and eliminate 196 million tons per year of CO2-equivalent emissions. The payback times for the energy infrastructure is only about 6 years.”
Still, as Newsday headlined a two-page spread two weeks ago: “Hochul Says New York Won’t Meet 2030 Climate Goal.” In the article, Newsday cited Hochul’s comments in an Albany Times Union newspaper podcast: She said: “We’re gonna get to our goals, but if we miss it by a couple of years—which is probably what’ll happen—the goals are still worthy. But we have to think about the collateral damage of all of our major decisions…either mitigate them or you have to rethink them.” In the podcast, she also termed herself as “a staunch environmentalist.”
That came after a report issued by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The press release from his office said: “The Public Service Commission and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority have taken considerable planning steps for New York State’s transition to renewable energy but must take stronger action to meet the state’s clean energy goals, according to an audit released today by…DiNapoli. The audit found inadequate planning, monitoring and assessment of risks and challenges in the PSC’s efforts to help the state meeting the Climate Leadership and Community Protection’s Act’s targets, which seek 70% renewably sourced electricity by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2040.” It added that “better planning, monitoring of progress and timely assessment of risks by PSC is needed.”
Following Hochul’s comments and the report, environmentalists declared that the state has not done enough on renewable energy.
Judith Enck, for seven years regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for an area that includes New York State and before that deputy secretary for the environment for two New York governors, said delaying the 70% goal “is a terrible decision by the governor. I hope she revisits it. We’re in a climate crisis. She says things have changed—and they have: the climate crisis has gotten worse. The governor should look at ways to accelerate meeting the goals, not delaying them.” Renewable energy, she said, is not a priority for state government.
Liz Moran, New York political advocate for the group Earthjustice, said: “The administration has been appearing to slow walk it from the jump. It’s a fear-based approach rather than a brave and bold approach that we need in the face of this crisis.”
“We’re certainly not ready to wave the white flag,” said Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters.
Meanwhile, the journal Politico published a report in May headlined “New York policymakers thaw on nuclear energy.” The piece by Marie J. French began: “Gov. Kathy Hochul has cracked the door open to the potential for new, small nuclear power plants as a way for the state to try to meet its ambitious climate coals.” The article told of this happening “at a private dinner with environmentalists April 29, according to two attendees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the private conversations. It’s not the first time that her administration has raised the idea. One of her top aides suggested as much earlier this year.”
Enck said last week about this: “I think the governor even speculating on nuclear power in New York is trouble.” Enck spoke of how decades were spent in “shutting down the Indian Point nuclear plants” 25 miles north of New York City. We “shouldn’t promote the same thing again.”
The central message of Jacobson’s “No Miracles Needed” book is how existing technologies—led by solar and wind—can solve the climate crisis, and he emphasizes how nuclear power is not needed and also investing in it would obstruct a transition to green renewable energy.
Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY at Old Westbury and the author of six books.