Clean energy power goals eye nukes, costs

ALBANY -- Mar 09 - Times Union (Albany, NY)

As the (New York) state moves toward ambitious clean energy goals backed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, energy regulators tackle two important issues this month -- how nuclear power will figure into the mix and how much it might cost to transform the state's energy supply.

On Wednesday, the state Public Service Commission will discuss how to provide some sort of subsidy for nuclear power under the proposed Clean Energy Standard, which will require the state to produce half of its electric power from renewable sources by 2030.

Currently, the state gets about 27 percent from renewables, not including nuclear, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration . Natural gas is the single largest source of electricity at 37 percent. Nuclear comes next at 35 percent.

While Cuomo is working to close the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester County , citing safety concerns because of the large population nearby, he also wants New Orleans -based Entergy , owner of the James A. FitzPatrick nuclear plant near Oswego , to reverse plans to close the 40-year-old facility by late 2016 or early 2017.

Another nuclear plant, the Robert E. Ginna plant near Rochester , is slated to run through at least 2017 after the state reached a 2014 deal to subsidize its money-losing operation.

FitzPatrick is one of four nuclear plants in the state, and supplied about 15 percent of the state's nuclear-generated electricity in 2010, according to federal Energy Information Administration figures; Indian Point supplied nearly 40 percent of that total.

The state's fourth plant is Nine Mile Point , in Oswego .

A coalition of labor and industry groups, supported by the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency , also is pushing FitzPatrick to stay open. But some renewable energy advocates have questioned how nuclear, which relies on uranium mining for fuel, could be considered renewable.

And on March 21 , commission staffers will take on another controversial issue -- how much it might cost to reach the governor's clean energy goals.

That meeting will consider an "estimated range of costs" that rely on factors including energy efficiency, cost of new renewable energy projects, and future trends in electric prices, according to a PSC notice. Other items to be considered include "energy storage, electric vehicles, geothermal heat pumps, biogas technologies and fuel cells," the notice continued.

A coalition of the state's largest industrial energy consumers urged the PSC to give more time for comments on the energy goals, since the cost impact study was still being worked up by PSC staffers. Initial reactions to the plan are due March 14 and March 28 .

"The impacts of this mandate on electric customers are unknown, but may be substantial or even staggering," wrote Michael Mager , counsel to the coalition, called Multiple Intervenors. Having a state deadline for comments before cost estimates have been released is "akin to asking a prospective homeowner to visit a large number of houses for sale and to make a decision thereon without having any information as to the prices of the various houses," he added.

The coalition represents about 60 members, including Alcoa , Cornell University , Corning Inc. , Occidental Energy Ventures Corp. , Praxair Inc. , Quad Graphics Inc. , State University of New York , and Wegmans Food Markets Inc.

The request for additional comment time was also supported by The Business Council of New York State .

bnearing@timesunion.com -- 518-454-5094 -- @Bnearing10

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