Split Reaction: 2015 NY State Energy Plan

June 30, 2015 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

Last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo finalized the 2015 New York State Energy Plan -- a bold policy framework which establishes clear goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent, generate 50 percent of the state's electricity from renewable sources, and increase energy efficiency by 23 percent by 2030 -- in order to move New York forward by combatting the threat of climate change and establishing itself as a national renewable energy leader.

Credit: Bialapastina/Wikimedia Commons

At the recent Renewable Energy Finance Forum-Wall Street (REFF-Wall Street), hosted by the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE), New York was recognized for its leadership in rethinking traditional utility and energy business models, as state policymakers and private sector partners look for ways to combine technology and policy innovation that will drive new business models, enabling the deployment of smart grid technologies to drive improved efficiency, reliability and the deployment of distributed renewable energy resources.

"Governor Cuomo's new energy initiative Reforming the Energy Vision (REV - part of the New York State Energy Plan), is spurring clean energy innovation and private investment to build a healthier and stronger economy," said Chairman of Energy and Finance for New York State Richard Kauffman, who delivered the keynote, which explored how the increasing shift toward a decentralized, digitized and consumer-centric model is poised to unleash a new wave of private or market-based investment. "REFF-Wall Street encourages a dialogue among the renewable energy financing community and advances the progress of REV through critical public-private partnerships supporting economic growth, job creation, and environmental protection."

The plan has lofty goals, but is accused of falling short in providing clear steps to achieving them.

"Governor Cuomo's State Energy Plan sets bold and aspirational goals for greenhouse gas reductions, renewable generation, and energy efficiency. These goals set New York on the path to being a renewable energy leader," said David Alicea of Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. "More, however, still needs to be done to responsibly retire aging, dirty, and uneconomic coal plants instead of handing out multi-million dollar bailouts to these big polluters. These facilities are among the largest emitters of climate-disrupting carbon pollution in our State and an impediment to achieving the Governor's climate goals. With proper benchmarks and a responsible statewide plan we can ensure that the state truly transitions to a renewable energy economy while supporting communities and workers."

Despite this perceived lack of a plan within the plan, others see this as game changing.

"This is a bold plan to rapidly and dramatically slash climate change pollution. By harnessing the power of the sun and the wind, and using energy more efficiently, this plan provides the road map to cement the state's position as a global leader on clean energy and climate change policy," said Kit Kennedy, director of the Energy and Transportation Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "New York's commitment to the goal of achieving 50 percent of our electricity from renewable energy by 2030 and to an aggressive energy efficiency goal is a game-changer. It can not only help us build a healthier future for New Yorkers, but create thousands of local jobs and save consumers serious money on their energy bills. This is the leadership on clean energy that we need."

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