Guest column: New York’s climate plan is unaffordable, unreliable

May 19th, 2022

The following op-ed was originally published in the Auburn Citizen on Thursday, May 19, 2022

As the public input period regarding New York’s climate plan comes to a close, I want to highlight two commonsense issues that were raised during the recent public hearings hosted by the Climate Action Council: affordability and reliability.

These may sound like vague issues but they are critically important in any decision-making process. Essentially – can we afford this plan and will it really work as intended?

The high-end estimated cost of implementing the CLCPA is $340 billion. That’s larger than New York State’s annual budget. Alternatively, $340 billion would cover New Yorkers’ total property tax costs for 5 years. I would venture to guess that if you asked the average Upstate homeowner which they would choose – a costly climate plan that won’t really impact New York’s climate or 5 years of no property tax payments for themselves and their neighbors, they would choose the latter.

According to the Climate Action Council’s Draft Scoping Plan, that $340 billion price tag is an estimate. When you factor in historic inflation rates, that estimate will likely grow. The bottom line is that millions of households across the state simply can’t afford to pay tens of thousands of dollars for heat pumps, weatherization and new appliances.

In addition to the issue of affordability, decision makers must consider whether this approach will deliver reliable energy to New York’s homes and businesses. In a recent report, The Empire Center lays out the cold truth about an all-electric energy plan. New York currently consumes 143 terrawatt hours (TWh) of electricity per year. Under New York’s Climate Act, the state will consumer between 236 and 258 TWh of electricity in the coming years. That’s a 65% increase in generated electricity. Combined, wind and solar will produce just 52.5 TWh – roughly one-third of the electricity that will be needed once you take nuclear power and natural gas off the table.

Even more, the Climate Action Council admits that relying on renewables is problematic. The Council’s Draft Scoping Plan states the following:

“…there are also many weeks in the year – especially during the winter – in which the contributions from renewables and existing clean firm resources are not sufficient to meet demand. During cold weeks, as a result of the electrification of building heating needs, electric demand will be much higher in the winter than it is today. Winter months also often coincide with extended periods of low renewable output.”

Considering the harsh winters that millions of Upstate New Yorkers experience every year, this admission should serve as alarm bell to Governor Hochul, legislators and everyone involved in this process.

Endangering the lives of New Yorkers for a climate plan that won’t make a dent in global emissions (New York is responsible for just .4% of all global greenhouse gas emissions) is unconscionable and unnecessary.

Solutions are supposed to solve problems – not create more of them. I urge the Climate Action Council and our leaders in Albany to be more thoughtful and thorough as they consider New York’s energy future.

Justin Wilcox is executive director of Upstate United