State advances a power plan
New York should put more emphasis on solar power. And keep Indian Point open. And shatter the strata west of the Hudson to free the natural gas there.
Those were among the messages for the Governor’s Energy Planning Board during a public hearing held recently in New Paltz on the state’s draft energy plan. The chairman of the Assembly energy committee attended and among other points expressed strong support for tapping the natural gas potential of the Marcellus Shale formations in pursuit of energy independence for the state.
Gov. Paterson appointed the board to create a state energy plan. A draft plan was released in August 2009 and public hearings held statewide to garner input. The eighth in a string of nine public hearings at different locales around the state came to SUNY-New Paltz on Sept. 24.
About two dozen speakers generally praised the plan, but also offered specific suggestions on ways it could be improved before a final plan is released, now scheduled for November. The plan has a 10-year planning horizon The state’s last energy plan was adopted in 2002.
The plan outlines five objectives and five strategies for attaining them. The objectives are ensuring a reliable energy and transportation systems, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring affordable energy for residents and businesses, reducing health and environmental effects connected with energy production and improving the state’s energy independence and fuel diversity.
The five strategies to meet those objectives involve increasing energy efficiency, development of in-state energy supplies, investing in energy and transportation infrastructure, stimulating innovation and creating partnerships.
“The plan is a remarkable step that puts us in the forefront of energy planning among the 50 states,” said Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, chairman of the Assembly energy committee, addressing the public hearing. He said however, it needs greater emphasis on distributed generation systems and improvement of net metering laws that allow homes and businesses to send energy back to the grid from solar or wind arrays.
Cahill urged the Energy Planning Board to be more ambitious, calling the plan to have the state receive 45 percent of its energy in renewable form by the year 2015 a laudable goal, but saying the true aim should be for the state to attain energy independence.
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