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Over the last 2,000 years there has been a Roman Warm Period and a Medieval Warm Period, and both had temperatures warmer than today. As shown in the following figure, over the last 175 years temperatures have been warming up since the end of the Little Ice Age but carbon dioxide emissions have only risen sharply over the last 75 years.…
With each of New York’s staggering missteps in decarbonization efforts, we reflect on the mess we’re in. ORES itself has stalled out in efforts to site intermittent resources.…
A panel of three presenters comprised of Keith Schue of Cherry Valley, Jonathan Knauth of Litchfield and Steve Helmin of Glen was moderated by Nicole Dillingham, retired attorney and environmental activist.…
The coalition points to physical constraints on the ability of wind and solar to contribute to carbon emission reductions and energy analysts who project that the electric grid will become less reliable as more intermittent renewables are connected.…
For all of the proselytizing by state politicians and downstate activists, we are going backward. Since the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act became state law in 2019, New York’s reliance on fossil fuels for electricity has jumped by a third.…
Under the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, a group of political appointees—the Climate Action Council—was charged with developing a scoping plan to achieve major decarbonization goals in the law. Their plan, as implemented by the state energy and research development authority, NYSERDA, would require 55 gigawatts of solar, 10 GW of onshore wind, and 17 GW of offshore wind.…
Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act proponents claim that existing technology is sufficient for the transition to the zero emissions electric grid by the 2040 target and that because wind and solar are free the transition will be affordable. However, the first annual Public Service Commission informational report on the implementation of the Climate Act released last month tells another story. It notes that in 2022 the costs associated with the Climate Act increased the monthly electric bills 7.6 percent…
The Partial Observer What If? Unpacking the Net-Zero Transition On December 19, 2022 the Climate Action Council charged with developing strategies to implement New York’s “Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act” issued the “Scoping Plan” that outlines their recommendations to meet a net-zero goal by 2050. This year the Department of Environmental Conservation will propose regulations and the Legislature will consider legislation to implement those recommendations. The Scoping Plan outlines how to “achieve the State’s bold clean energy and climate…
A Partial Observer Town of Columbia Residents Wary of Project The Town of Columbia is being pitched a 350 megawatt solar and 20 MW battery storage project by French owned, and San Diego based EDF Renewables. The project outreach to local landowners began quietly in 2019 and will require approximately 2,200 usable, contiguous acres—equal to 10 percent of the land in the Town of Columbia, which is known to have some of the most fertile farmland in the state. The…
Supporters, opponents weigh the costs and benefits of New York’s climate plan New York’s state Legislature and Governor Cuomo approved the sweeping ‘Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’ (CLCPA) in 2019, setting in motion an aggressive climate change agenda mandating 100 percent zero-emissions electricity by 2040 through a Climate Action Council charged with developing a ‘scoping plan’ of recommendations to meet those and other targets. Critics say that plan – up for public comment through June 10, 2022 – is…