Without a “monumental shift” in the way New York produces power, the state will not keep up with its growing need for energy, according to the president of National Grid Ventures, an international provider.
“Already, a recent state report acknowledged New York will miss the target of 70% renewable electricity by 2030,” said Will Hazelip in a recent opinion piece that noted Gov. Kathy Hochul is looking to push the goalpost out to 2033.
“In striving to meet Albany's deadlines, we owe it to every Long Islander to be prepared if we don’t have enough renewable generation, battery storage or transmission to keep lights on and houses cool,” Hazelip said.
“New York’s energy demand is increasing rapidly,” he went on. “Eventually, it will outpace the state’s available power. While there is a sincere effort by the state and private partners such as National Grid Ventures to bring enough renewable power online to close this gap, the task requires a monumental shift in the way New York produces power.”
According to Hazelip, National Grid Ventures' existing power plants have served Long Island residents for more than 50 years, and produce more than 50% of the Long Island Power Authority's total energy on the highest-demand days. “Before we retire these facilities, we must ensure there’s enough power supply,” he warned.
Critics have panned the decision by Hochul and Albany’s Progressive Democrats to push for wind and solar generation without investing in continuous use plants that generate power 24/7. Supplying enough energy to fuel the economy, not to mention the transition to all electric cars and trucks, is not possible under the current plan, experts say.
“Unfortunately, almost all of this green energy infrastructure still needs to be built,” Hazelip pointed out. “And that still won't be enough to meet 100% of forecast demand. Reaching that 70% target means more than doubling the state's renewable generation over the next six years.” Since the State Legislature passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019, New York has added just one 130-megawatt offshore wind project, 2.9 gigawatts of distributed solar, and 300 megawatts of battery storage, not nearly enough to satisfy the needs of the Empire State.
“Despite the challenges, there is a path to get that done,” Hazelip said. “First, we must boost funding for tax incentives, subsidies, and clean energy research so developers can invest in new technologies, like integrating renewable energy into existing generation sites. Second, we need more successful — and faster — contracting and construction of offshore wind, transmission infrastructure, and battery energy storage projects. Finally, we need to make sure renewable energy can meet reliability needs before we retire existing facilities, to keep lights on when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.”
The National Grid President concluded: “A safety net is necessary. It’s far more beneficial to keep fossil units available for days of exceptionally high energy usage and severe weather.
Collectively, we have a lot more ground to cover — and quickly, so policymakers don’t have to move the goalposts again.”