Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 19 July 2019
New York's climate plan will drive big changes, if it works

By MARY ESCH About a third less land area
Associated Press would be required with to-
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Solar day's technology, he said,
panels on every roof. Park- but the buildout would still
ing meters that double as be staggering — especially
car chargers. Wind turbines in a state where land is ex-
towering above farm fields pensive and local opposi-
and ocean waves. tion has stymied such proj-
A new law signed Thursday ects.
by New York Gov. Andrew New transmission lines,
Cuomo sets the nation's which also generate lo-
most aggressive targets for cal opposition, would be
reducing carbon emissions needed to tie new wind
and is intended to drive and solar projects to the
dramatic changes over electrical grid.
the next 30 years. It calls "It's definitely going to cost
for all the state's electricity ratepayers a lot more for
to come from renewable, reliable electricity," said
carbon-free sources such Gavin Donohue, president
as solar, wind and hydro- of Independent Power Pro-
power. Transportation and ducers of New York, whose
building heating systems members produce three-
would also run on clean quarters of the state's elec-
electricity rather than oil In this Feb. 14, 2017, file photo, a rooftop is covered with solar panels at the Brooklyn Navy Yard tricity. He said efficient, low-
and gas. in New York. emission natural gas plants
"The environment and cli- Associated Press built in the last 10 years are
mate change are the most needed to keep the lights
critically important policy Council will have three The act calls for 9,000 lyst at the Empire Center on.
priorities we face," the years to recommend man- megawatts of offshore for Public Policy, a spinoff "To say we're not going to
Democratic governor said dates, regulations, incen- wind capacity by 2035. It of the Manhattan Institute, have any fossil fuel by 2050
in announcing his signing of tives and other measures. also calls for 6,000 mega- calculates the offshore is preposterous," Donohue
the sweeping climate legis- The law will require utilities watts of solar capacity by wind buildout will cost more said. "Are we not going to
lation and the nation's larg- to get 70% of the state's 2025, five times the current than $48 billion upfront and have airplanes or gas-fu-
est offshore wind project. electricity from renewable amount. $1 billion in annual operat- eled cars? Is everyone go-
"They literally will determine sources by 2030. Last year, The Climate Action Coun- ing cost. At least 56 square ing to have to retrofit their
the future — or the lack 26.4% came from renew- cil will likely call for new miles (145 square kilome- houses?"
thereof." ables, according to a re- building codes to increase ters) of solar panels would Other Democratic-led
But while the legislation's port by New York Indepen- energy efficiency and re- be needed to hit the 2025 states have passed laws
goals are clear, details on dent System Operator, the quire heating and cool- goal of 6,000 megawatts to reduce greenhouse gas
how to achieve them have nonprofit corporation that ing systems using electric of solar capacity, Girardin emissions in response to the
yet to be determined. It runs the state's power grid. heat pumps that transfer said. Trump administration's ef-
isn't clear how much all this "The legislation is going heat between indoors and But Gerrard said the costs forts to roll back regulations
change will cost, or even to shape the way we live, outdoors. There may be in- of wind and solar installa- on power plants and ve-
whether it is all technically work and play going for- centives to retrofit existing tions have been dropping. hicles. New York is the sixth
feasible. ward," said Peter Iwanow- homes and buildings. "It's much more economi- state to mandate 100% re-
Some critics call the plan icz, executive director of The New York City Council cal to build large amounts newable energy sources in
impractical. Environmental Advocates this spring passed an ag- of wind and solar energy coming decades, after Ha-
"It would require massive of New York, which sup- gressive climate bill of its than even three or four waii, Nevada, New Mexico,
deployment of both on- ports the plan. own that would require years ago," Gerrard said. Washington and California.
shore and offshore wind, Massive wind farms will play energy-efficient building Mark Jacobson, an energy But New York's plan would
which is going to be enor- a key role in the transition. retrofits. expert at Stanford Universi- get there first.
mously costly," said Robert Cuomo announced Nor- Since transportation makes ty, led a 2013 study outlining "It's one of the strongest cli-
Bryce, an energy specialist way-based Equinor will up a third of the state's emis- how New York could transi- mate change laws in the
at the Manhattan Institute, develop one farm, gener- sions, the climate council tion to 100% renewable en- world," said Michael Ger-
a conservative think tank. ating power for New York will likely push for greater ergy by 2030. It envisioned rard, director of the Sabin
"You already have local City, while a joint venture of mass transit and an accel- 4,020 onshore wind turbines Center for Climate Change
opposition to onshore wind Connecticut-based Ever- erated shift to electric ve- spread across 1.5% of the Law at Columbia University.
that has stymied the state's source Energy and Orsted hicles, which the state now state's land area — 818 "It's a heavy lift, but not as
ability to build any new ca- A/S, a Danish company, promotes with rebates and square miles (2,119 square difficult as coping with the
pacity." will develop another, off investments in charging in- kilometers). And solar farms effects of severe climate
The Climate Leadership the coast of Long island. frastructure. would cover 463 square change if action is not
and Community Protection Combined, the two farms Ken Girardin, a policy ana- miles. taken."q
Act requires the state to cut will have a 1,700-mega-
greenhouse gas emissions watt capacity, enough
to 85% below 1990 levels by to power 1 million homes,
2050 and offset the remain- Cuomo said at the signing,
ing 15% with measures such where he was joined by for-
as planting forests and mer Vice President Al Gore.
capturing carbon for stor- "This is the most ambitious,
age underground. the most well-crafted legis-
A new 22-member New lation in the country," Gore /arubatoday/
York State Climate Action said.