New York passed its version of the Green New deal in 2019, and each year with more mandates added, it has become increasingly clear, that even if every New Yorker wanted to go ‘all-electric’, the grid is not even close to being ready to support that transition.
Sens. Dean Murray (R,C-Patchogue) and Mario Mattera (R,C Smithtown), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, joined Minority Leader Rob Ortt and fifteen other Republican state senators urging Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency amidst increasing concerns about the reliability of the state’s electrical grid and skyrocketing energy costs.
The senators also called on Hochul to use her Executive Authority to suspend laws enacted under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), also known as NY’s Green New Deal, that have placed more demand on the grid and more of a financial burden on New Yorkers – including electric vehicle and bus mandates, bans on natural gas hookups, the repeal of the “100 foot rule” and the Cap and Invest program.
Just last week, Hochul made an admission that it is impossible to achieve the current objectives of the Green New Deal without hurting ratepayers, and the president of NYSERDA pointed to the need for an updated energy plan that continues to include fossil fuels.
Sen. Mattera said “Albany Democrats continue to push extreme, unrealistic and unfunded energy mandates that eliminate reliable fuel sources without a reliable and realistic replacement. This is exactly what we have continually warned about and the main reason we need an energy policy grounded in reality, not ideology. That means protecting fuel choice, investing in clean natural gas, and examining other forms of energy without putting costly unfunded mandates on our residents and businesses. We need a plan…not a ban!”
“A one-size-fits-all energy policy does not work – we need reliable and affordable energy alternatives and a diverse energy portfolio is necessary to properly address unique needs across diverse regions. The industry has already raised concerns about the inability of the grid to keep up with the increased demand caused by burdensome all-electric mandates,” said Senator Ortt.
“Everyone knows the green energy goals of the Democrats are unrealistic and will lead to even higher energy costs and blackouts just like we’re seeing in California,” said Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano. “Governor Hochul needs to step up and stop this charade. We are already one of the most costly state to live, with people leaving left and right. Ruining our energy future with the new green scam will make it worse.”
Nationally, the message is the same. The US Department of Energy (DoE) recently released its annual Resource Adequacy Report.
The report says the US has “abundant energy sources and capabilities such as oil and gas, coal, and nuclear.” The report, unlike the reports issued under former President Biden, warns that blackouts will be a regular occurrence if the Biden Green New Deal efforts to retire fossil fuel power plants were to happen.
The DoE report says, “Absent decisive intervention, the Nation’s power grid will be unable to meet projected demand for manufacturing, re-industrialization, and data centers driving artificial intelligence (AI) innovation.”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said, “This report affirms what we already know: The United States cannot afford to continue down the unstable and dangerous path of energy subtraction previous leaders pursued, forcing the closure of baseload power sources like coal and natural gas.”