Report: ‘New York State Electric System Faces An Era Of Profound Reliability Challenges’

     The closer we get to the deadlines imposed by the disastrous Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), the more obvious it becomes the state’s overall energy plan is not merely inadequate but extremely dangerous.

The latest indication the state’s energy policy is headed in the wrong direction comes by way of two separate reports from the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), which indicated major concerns about grid reliability in the New York City and Long Island region as well as the state’s broader energy policy over the next decade.

The first report, NYISO’s third-quarter Short-Term Assessment of Reliability, warns that downstate energy consumers could face critical reliability issues as soon as next summer. It cites “generator deactivations, increasing consumer demand, and transmission limitations” as the key drivers of the energy shortfall. There is a reason the Assembly Minority Conference has warned against transitioning away from traditional energy sources without adequate safeguards in place, and this report speaks directly to the concerns our members have raised for years. We do not have the infrastructure to handle complete electrification.

Further highlighting the impending unreliability of our power grid, a second NYISO report, the 2025-2034 Comprehensive Reliability Plan (CRP), offered an even more dire view of the state’s trajectory.

“The CRP warns that the New York State electric system faces an era of profound reliability challenges driven by the convergence of three structural trends: the aging of the existing generation fleet; the rapid growth of large loads (e.g.: data centers and semiconductor manufacturing); and the increasing difficulty of developing new supply resources due to public policies, supply chain constraints and rising costs for equipment.”

This is extremely alarming. We are moving toward unprecedented energy demands due to technological advancements, industrial needs and other external factors. Now, more than ever, we need an energy plan that not only accounts for a massive spike in tech-based consumption but also meets basic heating and cooling needs for residents. We already came close to disaster in June when NYISO was forced to issue an Energy Warning, which immediately precedes a full-blown Energy Emergency. Should the grid fail during a heat wave or during extreme winter weather, New Yorkers would be in real danger.

One potential solution we have identified is expanded nuclear energy production. Recently, Gov. Kathy Hochul directed the New York Power Authority to develop and execute a plan to build a “zero-emission advanced nuclear power plant” in Upstate New York. I am glad to see some acknowledgment that we must bolster our grid’s reliability with nuclear energy, but more needs to be done.

An unreliable energy grid is unsafe, economically disadvantageous and entirely avoidable. To my Democrat colleagues in the Legislature, I ask: What are you waiting for? We must address these concerns now, with the full measure of our legislative tools. Waiting until we are face to face with a widespread power shortfall is simply not an option.

If you have any questions or comments on this or any other state issue, or if you would like to be added to my mailing list or receive my newsletter, please contact my office. My office can be reached by mail at 19 Canalview Mall, Fulton, NY 13069 and by email at [email protected]. You may also find me, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, on Facebook or X at @WillABarclay.