You Don’t Need to Be an Energy Expert to Understand
NY Must Embrace All-of-the-Above Approach
Most New Yorkers have never heard of the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), and that’s usually a good thing. Its job is to ensure the reliability of our electric grid and keep the lights on, and typically it has quietly done so. But now the NYISO is warning of “reliability violations” on Long Island and New York City beginning next summer. That is cause for alarm.
You don’t need to be an energy expert to understand the basic supply and demand challenge. Energy demand is rising for both natural gas and electricity, driven by electrification, new industries, and growth while supply is constrained as older plants are taken out of service, natural gas infrastructure has been limited by State policy, and renewable projects are not materializing as envisioned, leaving a significant gap, and that must be filled. Meeting this challenge requires both immediate and long-term action. New York’s recently released State Energy Plan gets it right: we need an all-of-the-aboveenergy strategy that advances renewables while maintaining reliable natural gas supplies. Natural gas is essential for keeping energy affordable and dependable—and with the right policies, it can also help reduce emissions.
New Yorkers fundamentally understand this balance. According to a September Tunnl poll, there is strong bipartisan support for using solar (82%), natural gas (79%), wind, (75%), and hydroelectric (73%) to generate electricity to meet the state’s needs. Given the importance of adding more natural gas today to meet our needs, it is important to note the same poll showed that more than three-quarters of New Yorkers see natural gas as both reliable and affordable.
The most important thing New York can do to address the reliability concerns raised by the NYISO is approve the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline which will expand our region’s natural gas capacity by 13%. That’s a meaningful step towards keeping homes warm, businesses powered, and energy costs in check. More than 60 organizations representing 1.4 million New Yorkers—from the State Building Trades Council to the Long Island Association and the United Way of Long Island—have voiced their support, reflecting the 72% of residents who back the project statewide.
Another positive benefit of NESE is that it will allow us to make additional strides to reduce emissions by continuing to convert homes from dirty oil fueled furnaces to cleaner-burning natural gas. There are 1.2 million homes in New York, including over 400,000 on Long Island that are still using oil. That is why Governor Hochul should veto misguided legislation that would end the “100-foot rule” which allows homeowners to connect to a gas main at no charge. Since the 100-foot rule was established in 1985, statewide residential carbon emissions from fuel oil have been cut in half, even as our population has grown by 2 million people. Ironically, while those who want to repeal the 100-foot rule say they are guided by a desire to reduce emissions and improve affordability, the reality would be the opposite for homeowners. Ending the 100-foot rule would raise costs and emissions alike.
You don’t need to be an energy expert to see the path forward. It’s time to get the politics out of energy planning. New York can lead the nation in clean energy innovation while keeping the grid reliable and affordable. This is not a choice between natural gas or renewables, the State needs both. That starts with an all-of-the-above approach—one grounded in facts, supported by the public, and essential to powering our shared future.
Robert Catell is chairman of the Advanced Energy Research Technology Center at Stony Brook University.