Column from Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay
ALBANY – New York’s radical green-energy agenda has been destined for failure since the moment it was conceived. In its earliest stages, liberal supporters of the bill refused to put firm cost estimates on the plan to overhaul New York’s energy grid. The resulting 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) was rammed into law, despite calls for a more measured approach by Republican lawmakers.
Considering how the CLCPA was created, it’s not surprising to see a new report from Public Power New York indicating New York will not be hitting clean energy targets by 2030. It’s even less surprising to see concerns coming from the business community, which recognizes the astronomical fiscal strain the CLCPA presents in its current form – retrofitting buildings and eliminating existing affordable energy options are unworkable. To that end, the Business Council has issued warnings about the plan due to its costs, unreliability and impact on economic growth.
Concerns about this plan are coming from every angle: the business community, the rate-paying public and legislators from all levels of government have sounded the alarm here. The enormity and scope of the interest groups worried about this plan tell you everything you need to know about its chances of success.
There are significant concerns that rushing this transition is not only going to be costly, but deadly. A failing power grid during extreme hot or cold weather could prove fatal, and some estimates expect as much as a 10% shortage during weather emergencies. How will we compensate for this failure when it impacts our nursing homes, schools, hospitals and other sensitive locations? You don’t tear down a bridge until the new one is built, but that’s exactly what the Democrats’ energy overhaul does. The stakes here are incredibly high and leadership hasn’t offered anything by way of a backup plan.
Representative governments must operate in reality. New York is only responsible for 3% of emissions here in the country and a relatively tiny 0.4% of emissions globally. I have said many times before, a diverse energy portfolio including renewable resources is critical to our state’s environmental and economic health, but these goals must be reached within the scope of practicality. Right now, that’s not what New York is doing. However, as we prepare for the governor’s upcoming State of the State address, now just a few weeks away, this is an ideal time to reassess the direction we are heading. I urge the governor and her allies to listen to these concerns and take them seriously. To be blunt, failure here is 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 Twitter at @WillABarclay.
missing or outdated ad config