As the pending closure of two nuclear power plants just outside of Rochester throws a wrench into the state’s energy plans, Gov. Cuomo is set to make a monumental decision regarding the future of New York’s energy industry.
According to the New York Times, Gov. Cuomo is planning to order state regulators to mandate that at least half of all power consumed by New Yorkers will be generated from renewable sources by 2030. The focus of the shift towards these renewable energy sources is to decrease carbon dioxide emissions throughout the state.
Gov. Cuomo has long said that he plans to have 50% of the state’s power come from renewable energy, including hydroelectricity and solar power. However, the recent shutdown of two nuclear power plants on Lake Ontario have increased his urgency to formulate real ways of achieving this goal.
Nuclear energy, while not renewable, is considered clean. Therefore, the shutdown of these two plants is a giant step backwards for the state that Gov. Cuomo is trying to avoid at all costs. The James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Oswego County is on the verge of being closed by its parent company, Entergy, after they reported losses of $60 million a year.
While some oppose Gov. Cuomo’s persistence in spending the state’s money to transition towards renewable energy sources, many others believe that it is a wise investment for the future. Rory M. Christian, the director of clean energy for the Environmental Defense Fund in New York, believes that the initial increase in utility costs will pay dividends over the long-run.
“Rates are always going to be a concern, but the key thing is more renewables will keep those costs from going up or stabilize them,” said Christian.
New York has always tried to be on the forefront of changes in utility efficiency, so Gov. Cuomo’s plan is not a surprise to many. According to the NIEHS Superfund Research Program, New York City was one of the first in the nation to adopt new plumbing codes that promote water efficiency, thus conserving energy.
Adopted in 2012, the new codes require increased water efficiency for all new toilets, urinals, showerheads. The average household can leak up to 10,000 gallons of wasted water every single year, and before these regulations were introduced, New York was wasting an obscene amount of water.
Until the state completely transitions away from its current sources of energy, utilities will be incentivized to use power that is generated from nuclear plants and avoid those with increased carbon emissions.
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