Buffalo News Another Voice: Albany’s energy inaction endangers New York’s economic future

November 19th, 2025

November 19, 2025

Opinion by Justin Wilcox – Read at Buffalo News here.

Abundant, affordable and reliable energy is inseparable from economic growth. Yet New York’s policies threaten all three, straining the grid and imperiling employers, workers and ratepayers.

The New York Independent System Operator’s latest Short-Term Assessment of Reliability found reliability violations for New York City and Long Island − only the second such finding in state history. This is not routine. It means the grid, already stretched to its limits, cannot support large load projects or continued electrification − particularly under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

Six years after its implementation, it’s clear that the CLCPA is the main driver of the projected shortfall, effectively preventing investment in critical generation infrastructure. Policymakers often describe its targets as “goals,” suggesting flexibility, but in practice the law’s provisions are binding − including a prohibition on generating fossil fuels after 2040.

That rigidity has led the Department of Environmental Conservation to block the repowering of existing facilities. Developers of needed fossil-fuel generation simply are not going to invest in New York if their facilities will be forced to cease operations by 2040 due to the CLCPA; instead, they will choose to continue investing elsewhere. Even if existing facilities remain online, NYISO predicts that by next summer, New York City will face a power deficit equivalent to the electricity needed for up to 650,000 homes − a shortfall that could double by 2050. Building new generation and transmission takes years. Albany has a habit of acting only in crisis − waiting for the fire instead of responding to the smoke. The fact that NYISO had to activate its grid alert system during the June heatwave shows the reliability of the grid is at risk. By the time lawmakers act, the damage to the grid and economy could be irreparable.

Leaders in Albany claim New York needs an “all-of-the-above” energy approach. But repeating that slogan doesn’t change the fact that state law bans fossil-fuel generation after 2040. Until the Legislature revises these mandates, “all-of-the-above” remains a slogan, not a strategy. The Legislature has both the authority and responsibility to prevent a full-blown reliability and economic crisis. Every month of delay compounds the risk.

Justin Wilcox is executive director of Upstate United.