energy

Press Release:

New York State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and Members of the Senate Republican Conference today unveiled the “Creating Lasting Affordable Energy for New York,” a comprehensive legislative package to ensure a clean, affordable energy future for all New Yorkers.

This summer, critics have cited the failure of the Administration to meet benchmarks enacted under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Since the CLCPA has been on the books, Democrats have proved they have nothing to show for it except frustrated ratepayers and taxpayers, business organizations and even climate advocacy groups. Today, Senate Republicans are putting forward proposals to not only protect the environment, but also the pockets of our taxpayers.

These proposals come on the heels of the fifth anniversary of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act becoming law and the upcoming “Future Energy Economy Summit” in September.

Senate Republicans' common sense package offers solutions to delay the CLCPA mandate, while providing relief to taxpayers, ensuring the reliability of the grid, and ensuring a diverse energy portfolio that will keep energy options affordable and accessible throughout New York State. 

“It’s ironic how five years after the implementation of the CLCPA, the billions of dollars spent, and the absolutely crushing utility hikes year after year, Governor Hochul just realized that now might be a good time to put some actual thought behind the Democrats’ energy policies. We welcome the Governor’s late arrival to the party and hope that she takes a look at the policies we have laid out here, as they will not only keep the lights on, but do so in a clean, affordable way that benefits all New Yorkers,” said Senator Mario Mattera, 2nd District, ranking member of the Senate Energy Committee.

"Since the CLCPA's approval in 2019, we've watched Albany Democrats move at world record speed to pile one unaffordable mandate on top of another unworkable mandate on top of the next unrealistic mandate desperately trying to inflict a zero-emissions economy on this entire state that will have zero impact on the climate. These actions will come with a devastating price tag and consequences for ratepayers and taxpayers, businesses and industries, school districts, farmers, and entire local economies. It has become clear that the current strategy is not realistic or achievable. It is not responsible or rational. There was no cost-benefit analysis, other than a "the sky is falling" proclamation. It lacks critical foresight, and it unreasonably risks energy grid reliability and affordability. The forthcoming reassessment and reexamination at least opens a long-overdue and desperately needed public discussion on the realities of the current strategy. Senate Republicans are putting forth a clean energy strategy that is focused on affordability, feasibility, and reliability," said Senator Tom O'Mara, 58th District.

“The evidence keeps mounting that CLCPA mandates are not only unworkable and unaffordable, but a very real threat to the reliability of our energy supply.  If Democrats keep blindly pushing forward with this disastrous plan, even as experts raise numerous red flags, it will be a catastrophe for our economy, businesses, municipalities and already over-burdened New Yorkers. With a more balanced approach that ensures broader energy options and ratepayer relief, our plan is the desperately needed course correction that will prevent New York from going over the CLCPA cliff,” said Senator George Borrello, 57th District.

“Our legislative package is about securing clean and affordable energy for every New Yorker, and we're committed to doing it the right way. Our proposals lower costs of the transition for New Yorkers seeking cleaner energy while putting local decision-making back in the hands of local municipalities. Our package finds the right balance—hitting our environmental goals to keep our communities strong and ensuring a clean and prosperous environment for future generations to come, ” stated Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, 9th District.

“The extreme policies mandated by Albany's CLCPA will make energy more expensive and less reliable when Hudson Valley residents need it most. My colleagues and I favor a balanced, common-sense approach that maximizes consumer choice and eliminates harmful mandates that drive up costs. For example, my Ratepayer Protection Tax Credit will directly assist households forced to pay up to an additional $1,600 each year to subsidize Albany's unrealistic goals and roll back job-killing taxes on local businesses. Keeping everyday New Yorkers' energy options affordable, reliable, and plentiful remains a top priority,” said Senator Rob Rolison, 39th District.

“Senate Democrats have lost sight of reliability, affordability and feasibility in their energy policy. I'm proud to be a member of a conference that's pushing real, balanced solutions, and I'm thrilled to introduce legislation to keep hydroelectric plants producing the affordable, clean energy we need to power our economy and protect our environment,” said Senator Jake Ashby, 43rd District.

“High taxes, onerous energy costs, burdensome regulations and problematic policies such as the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act have forced hardworking New Yorkers to flee the state at an alarming rate. We need a plan that helps struggling taxpayers, families, business owners and communities – not one that imposes unrealistic and unreasonable mandates that only make things more difficult for those who stay in the state. This commonsense package of legislation that the Senate Republican Conference has unveiled today, which includes a bill I have sponsored, will provide much-needed relief to taxpayers and ratepayers, improve the reliability of the grid and ensure that the state has a diversified energy portfolio. Approaches such as this can help us to stop the exodus and build a stronger future for New York,” said Senator Joe Griffo, 53rd District.

“A recent comptroller report made clear what my Senate Republican colleagues and I have been saying all along: the cost of implementing the CLCPA is already far beyond that which Democrat leaders have suggested it would be. There must be accountability and transparency, and I’m proud to sponsor legislation requiring a true cost-benefit analysis of these mandates. New Yorkers deserve reliable, affordable energy. With this legislation and the other pieces sponsored by my colleagues, we can make that a reality,” said Senator Dan Stec, 45th District.

Since Democrats passed the CLCPA in 2019, Republicans in the State Senate have demanded answers about its cost, expressed concerns about its mandates and questioned if its goals were realistic or achievable.

The Senate Republicans’ “Creating Lasting Affordable Energy for New York” legislative package includes proposals that would:

Delay the implementation of the CLCPA mandates by ten years, giving the state time to develop a sustainable plan to build affordable, clean energy infrastructure and give state agencies more flexibility to adjust those time frames if the cost to New Yorkers is determined to be unaffordable while also considering the impact of the CLCPA’s compliance on reliable and affordable alternatives for heating and other services currently supplied by natural gas, including renewable natural gas and hydrogen

Create the “Ratepayer Relief Act” to determine the true cost of CLCPA mandates and provide relief in that amount to ratepayers, as well as cut existing taxes that will save ratepayers more than $100 million

Prevent the state from closing any power generation facility before new facilities come online and provide tax credits to homeowners for the purchase of backup power systems in the event of outages

Study the feasibility of bringing Indian Point back online and expand investment into alternative energy options

Encourage the use of solar by expanding the residential solar energy credit to give homeowners up to an additional five thousand dollars to install solar, provides a new solar STAR credit for communities that build small to midsize solar projects, and re-establishes local control over the siting of major renewable energy projects

Establish a commission to evaluate the impact of grid electrification on the safety and reliability of heating systems in extreme winter weather incidents that cause power outages, and to develop strategies and best practices to maximize grid reliability during these events

Provide relief via a tax credit to hydroelectric plants to offset relicensing costs, which can potentially put them out of business, to allow them to continue to be a source of clean, reliable power to New Yorkers

Create the “Rural Energy Infrastructure Act of 2025” to provide a tax credit for individuals in underserved or unserved areas of the gas system to assist the buildout of natural gas infrastructure to help bring service to those areas

Prohibit the state from mandating the electrification of personal vehicles

Establish the New York state hydrogen vehicle task force to examine another source of clean and affordable fuel

“The Governor and the Legislature continue to make it more and more difficult for a family to remain in New York.  Every time the Legislature comes into session, New Yorkers pay more for basic necessities. This is exactly why New York is losing its population at the rate it is.  The only thing participants of Governor Hochul’s ‘Future Energy Economy Summit’ should be considering is how to reduce energy costs for New Yorkers, and they could do that by taking up these proposals,” concluded Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, 62nd District. 

Press Release:

Highlights of National Grid’s Filing: 

 

• Critical investments to ensure the reliability and safe operation of the company’s energy delivery system that serves 2.3 million upstate New York residential and business customers.
• Enhanced system resiliency and reliability measures to manage and reduce the impact of frequent and severe weather and enable continued strong storm response. 
• Integrated energy planning to consider interactions between gas, electric, and customer energy systems to achieve long-term climate goals in a safe and affordable way.
• Infrastructure investments to support economic development, connect clean energy, and enhance security.
• Targeted programs and dedicated teams to better serve residential, commercial, and industrial customers.
• Enhanced energy affordability programs and services, and programs to enable clean energy and energy efficiency benefits for disadvantaged communities.

National Grid has submitted a proposal to support a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy system that will enhance reliability and advance New York’s clean energy goals in a filing with the New York State Public Service Commission. The filing, which proposes to reset electricity and natural gas delivery prices beginning in spring 2025, is focused on maintaining critical infrastructure, improving customer service, providing additional assistance to vulnerable customers, promoting economic growth, and preparing electricity and gas networks for the energy transition that will rely more heavily on clean energy sources.

The company’s plan includes targeted investments and programs to reduce emissions, strengthen the safe delivery of energy, connect renewable energy projects to the company’s networks, and increase energy efficiency offerings and other programs to help customers reduce their energy usage. 

Additionally, the plan will improve the overall customer experience by increasing the number of consumer advocates to assist vulnerable customers, including those in disadvantaged communities, eliminating credit card fees for residential bill payments, and adopting new technologies to provide more self-service options for customers.

The company shaped the filing after conducting listening sessions with customers, communities, environmental justice advocates and other key stakeholders. The meetings were held to help ensure National Grid’s proposal aligns with the goals and priorities of the customers and communities it serves while meeting our legal and regulatory mandates. 

“Prioritizing the energy needs of our customers is vital, and nothing is more important than the safe operation of our networks as we look for new ways of delivering energy for all our customers,” said Phil DeCicco, New York General Counsel. “We have identified essential investments in this rate proposal, and we will ensure no customer is left behind in their access to reliable and affordable energy as we continue on the clean energy transition.” 

An Extended Period of Energy Price Stability

The company’s efficiency initiatives and relatively low commodity costs in recent years have contributed to an extended period of energy price stability. Adjusted for inflation, total bills are lower than they were 16 years ago. As noted in the charts below, average residential electricity bills were approximately 20% lower in 2023 than they were in 2007, and natural gas bills are 40% lower over
the same period. 

The one-year proposal would result in a total monthly bill increase of about $19, or 15 percent for a residential electricity customer using 625 kilowatt-hours. The total gas bill increase for residential gas customers would be about $18, or 20 percent a month, based on 78 therms used. 

Today’s filing includes a one-year proposal along with cost data for three additional years to enable discussions on a multi-year settlement. Reaching a settlement that spreads cost increases over four years, for example, could reduce the first-year delivery price impacts by more than half.

“While we have made every effort to moderate the proposals and resulting bill impacts in our filings, we are interested in exploring a multi-year rate plan that would allow National Grid to take full advantage of efficiencies and manage bills over multiple years,” DeCicco added. “We’re committed to doing all that we can to minimize any impact on our customers while delivering on the critical safety, reliability, and clean energy priorities our customers expect and deserve. Recognizing the imperative to manage customers’ bills, these filings balance the need for continued investment with the need to maintain affordability and protect our most vulnerable customers.”

Additional customer benefits in the proposal include: 

• Investment of approximately $1.7 billion in the electricity grid and $338 million in gas networks across upstate New York. This includes investments that will increase the company’s ability to seamlessly connect renewable, distributed generation.
• Investments in the natural gas system will mitigate regional capacity constraints, make needed infrastructure replacements, and improve the safety and reliability of the distribution network. This includes the retirement of 128 miles of leak-prone pipe over four years.
• Increased customer assistance and energy affordability programs for those having difficulty managing their energy costs.
• Continued deployment of economic development and energy efficiency programs that help grow the upstate economy.
• Adding more than 800 jobs over the next four years to support electric and gas operations, grid modernization and customer programs. These will include local employees who live and work in the communities we serve and support the regional economy.

The plan also will prepare the electric system for the company’s Upstate Upgrade initiative, which is essential to the continued reliable operation and resiliency of the energy infrastructure and further enables the connection of locally generated clean energy across Upstate New York.

The New York Department of Public Service will thoroughly review the proposal to ensure the company prudently invests in, operates and maintains its energy delivery system.

“National Grid is determined to build a better energy future while keeping energy as affordable as possible,” DeCicco said. “We look forward to an open and transparent public review process and encourage customers to become involved in how we can build a better energy future for all the communities we serve.”

National Grid’s upstate New York electricity business serves 1.7 million customers in more than 680 cities, villages and towns across 25,000 square miles, while its gas distribution business serves more than 640,000 customers across portions of central, northern and eastern New York. 

National Grid’s full rate case filing can be found on the Public Service Commission’s website as ngrid.com/uny-ratefiling.

(Submitted photo)

Northern Power Systems, a Vermont-based wind energy company, will host an “Open Turbine Day” at 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on July 21, at Miller Sonshine Acres Farm in Corfu.

Attendees will celebrate the successful operation of two wind turbines on the farm, highlighting significant energy cost savings, as well as getting an up-close look at the turbines.

“This is a great opportunity for those who don’t have it and don’t know how they work,” said Maureen McCracken from Northern Power Systems.

The family-friendly event will be held in conjunction with Buffalo Renewables and the Miller Sonshine Acres Farm, located at 10021 Simonds Road in Corfu.

At the event, attendees will learn about the benefits of wind power and talk to representatives from the companies.

Miller Sonshine Acres Farm has two wind turbines. McCracken said the farm has had one of them for two years and recently installed the other at the end of last year.

McCracken said they will be opening the door to the turbine, for attendees to see how it works.

The turbines that will be shown at the farm are not for home use, but companies do sell smaller wind turbines. At the event, people can learn about financing options. Wind turbines allow people to use wind energy to cut costs, McCracken said.

“In New York, there are good incentives through NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) and the costs for the turbines have decreased,” McCracken said. “Now more than ever, it is easy for people to own a wind turbine.”

Residents can register for the event by July 17 by emailing:  info@northernpower.com or by calling 877-906-6784, ext. 6070.

Press release:

 Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today denounced Downstate members of the Assembly’s Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions who blocked legislation Hawley authored to eliminate an expensive surcharge on electricity bills in New York State.

Hawley has championed an initiative to eliminate the 18-A energy surcharge placed on utility companies and passed down to consumers since 2010.

“It is very troubling that Downstate politicians once again blocked an initiative that would have saved New Yorkers millions of dollars on their electricity bills,” Hawley said.

“In a state where property and income taxes are through the roof and Upstate jobs are disappearing, the middle class deserves a break. This is another example of the ongoing war to oppressively tax successful businesses, seniors and all New Yorkers.”

A third windmill went up on the Partridge Farm on Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, today.

Don and Pat Partridge, who acquired the farm from the White family in 1980, installed their first two windmills four years ago.

Those power plants have supplied about 50 percent of the farm's electricity and with the new windmill, Don hopes to reach 100 percent, or close to it.

"The new windmill is about 30 percent more productive," Partridge said.

The list price on the windmill is close to $75,000, but Partridge received a state grant and won a competitive USDA grant.

He expects to break even on his investment within 12 years (as he will with the first two windmills).

The windmills have an expected useful life of 25 years.

"It's the last half of their life where I'll enjoy them the most," Partridge said.

Partridge, who now works at Cummings & Bricker on Lehigh Street, quit full-time farming in 1999 for "a paying job," but he still raises some corn and hay and has a few head of cattle. The rest of the acreage is run by another dairy farmer.

"We're in a very wind-productive area," Partridge said. "It's Class C wind, which is productive wind. I think we have more wind power than solar."

With all that wind, Partridge said he doesn't understand the resistance to wind power.

"We would like to see more people get involved in solar and wind," Partridge said. "I just don’t understand all of the resistance to the big ones. I wish I had some big-wind ones up here. If the town put four big ones up here, the town residents could get credit for their electric bills. I would think that would be worth doing."

Wind Tamers -- the bright white and blue, jet-engine looking wind energy devices -- are catching on in Genesee County.

There's already one installed in Le Roy (the picture on this post is of the one we mentioned in March), and Thursday evening, the Genesee County Planning Board recommended approval of two more and a company representative said a fourth unit was recently sold in Pavilion.

In all, Wind Tamer, Inc., has sold 40 of the turbine wind machines in New York, Ontario, Canada, and Pennsylvania since the company started selling them last year, according to Glenn Steed, installation coordinator.

"We’re trying to bring wind energy to people, to areas that might not be able to support large towers or open rotor designs or anything with noise and really bring a kinder energy to wind," said Steed following Thursday's meeting.

Approved were applications from Wayne and Jane Smith at 10744 South Street Road, Pavilion, and Joseph Falcone at 10213 Perry Road, Le Roy.

The Wind Tamer was designed by Jerry Brock and it achieves greater efficiency and produces more energy than traditional windmills because of its jet-engine like design.

The design is also quieter and can be mounted at lower heights for less visibility.

These advantages, Steed said, are proving very attractive for small businesses, agricultural uses and rural residents.

"Thre’s no noise at all," Steed said. "We just had a noise study done and the results are on our Web site. They’re just really quite. There’s really no increase in the ambient noise from the surrounding area."

Prices start in the $15,000 range, but Steed said the return on investment, because of the greater energy production, is much faster than traditional windmills.

Wind Tamer is based in Geneseo and Steed said most of the materials and all of the labor so far comes from New York.

“It’s a lot of good dollars in New York State," Steed Said. "It’s a good, growing business in New York.”

County officials are at looking ways to save taxpayer money by eliminating energy waste.

When the Genesee County Legislature meets at 7 tonight in the Old Courthouse, it will vote on a pair of resolutions aimed at greater energy efficiency.

The county has an opportunity to apply for up to $500,000 in federal stimulus funds to upgrade energy infrastructure. The county must also identify what changes can be made in its facilities to achieve the greatest energy savings.

To get help in applying for stimulus funds and to study the county's energy needs, the legislature will vote on whether to approve a pair of contracts with Wendel Energy Services, which has offices in Buffalo, Long Island and Washington, D.C..

"From past experience, I can say we might spend $100,000 to $1 million, but we'll get back more than $1 million over the course of 10 years in savings," said Assistant County Manager Frank Ciaccia.

He said it's impossible right now to put a precise figure on possible savings. "That's what the study will tell us," he said, but it's clear the potential is there.

The study will cost $58,800, but half of that will be paid by a New York energy agency. Applying for the stimulus grants will cost $2,500.

Every building the county owns -- from the fairly new courts facility and the Sheriff's Park Road office, to the Holland Land Office Museum and the Old Courthouse -- would be evaluated by Wendel Energy Services.

The firm has already identified several areas of concern in Genesee County, from inefficient lighting (perhaps too much lighting for a particular room, or a lack of timers and motion detectors to automatically turn off lights) to outdated heating/air-conditioning units. The jail, for example, had its boiler installed in 1984. The county is interested in investigating the cost and return-on-investment of installing a modern boiler.

A key part of the study would be determining which energy projects to fund. Obviously, one consideration is whether the county plans to keep the building. For example, if the county decided it would need a new jail facility within 20 years, replacing the boiler may not be a priority.

"One of our goals is to look at the payback over 10 years and how long we expect to stay in a building," Ciaccia said. "If we decide we won't be in those buildings, that will influence our decision not to select those projects."

The Genesee County Nursing Home is not included in the study package since the county's continued ownership of that facility is currently in doubt. The nursing home could be re-included at some point, Ciaccia said, if a decision is made to keep it.

Are you ready for higher heating bills this winter?

The D&C reports that natural gas heating is expected to be 18 percent higher this season.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration projected this week that Americans who heat with natural gas will pay an average of 18 percent more this winter than last.

In the Rochester region, where natural gas is the most common fuel for heating, this would mean the average consumer would pay $274 a month for a total of $1,370 from November through March, up more than $200 for the season.

Do you have conservation tips to share?

I think we'll be burning more wood.

 Was wondering what everyone thought of the current situation with big oil and gas companies.  I don't need to remind  you that the price is going up every day.  No stablization of price in sight.  I LOVE the way everyone plays politics with the issue....gas tax caps, price caps...even Chrysler is willing to pay for the difference between the price of a gallon of gas and $2.99.  That plan is flawed because it is based on a credit card offer and you bet Chrysler will make just as much off of charged interest to the consumer as they do in the discount...just another catch.  Make hay when the sun shines and doesn't shine in this case......

It seems to me that the really simple way to deal with this is to allow discounts for new purchases and trades if a consumer goes to a higher gas mileage automobile.  Energy savings in the form of tax breaks and incentives and grants have long been available for the home owner....why not the automobile owner.  If you as a consumer trade in a vehicle that gets 15 miles per gallon for a vehicle that gets 30 miles per gallon you should get a tax break or something.  Isn't that simple....with the reduction of demand you would find a stablization of prices.... I guess...or maybe I am just being political.  Usage and demand are the biggest problems.  I bought a 38  mile per gallon car..... My problem is much smaller than the BIG SUV owner....who has no kids, but needs a BIG vehicle for some reason.

Then there is the all familiar forgiving public..... Where is our outrage?  We have a President and Vice President that rake in more and more cash for when they are out of office each and every time the price goes up..... I bet Cindy McCain has a ton of money in oil and gas as well...why not...  THOSE companies are posting HUGE profits while we make our way to our local Big Box or Discount Grocery Store to purchase what we can with what is left of our money.   IT used to be prescription drugs that I worried about eating up my money during my retirement...now I wonder if it will be the price of gas for my car or home. 

In talking with a young man the other day I found out that he pays approximately $20 a day in gas to work at a job where he is making $75 a day.   After taxes and a $5 lunch....if he is lucky...he ends up netting $36.50 a day....Yikes and with that he has to pay rent, buy food, pay off extortionate Student Loans and maybe...just maybe go to a movie once in a while.  His love life must be wonderful....when a romantic dinner is 11PM at Wendy's from the $1 Menu.

It just goes to show.  Americans will adapt to anything.  What I would like to see at least is that government take some responsible position instead of a political one....Maybe encourage smaller vehicles, maybe push for sensible alternative fuels and maybe just maybe solve the Middle East Problem.  Isn't it amazing that Venezuelans pay the least for gas because thier consumers use thier product?  We have the brightest minds to figure this out.....Why can't we learn to use our own resources??? Do we have to continue to consume the world's costly energy?  Is there a better way???

Wind power seems like a good thing -- clean, natural, a renewable energy source.

These days, who can be opposed to such benefits?

So why are people in Perry blocking -- and have been blocking for three years -- the construction of a wind farm in their town? Matt Suretl's story in today's Daily News doesn't tell us.

Surtell writes:"It often appears there's little middle ground between the most adamant supporters and opponents," yet he never gives much information on the pros and cons, as Perry residents see them.

This leave the impression that the opponents are nothing more than unapologetic NIMBYs.

My only experience with wind turbines comes from often driving past the majestic, earth-saving machines in Tehachapi. From everything I heard while a resident of nearby Bakersfield, the people of Tehachapi consider the wind farm an asset -- but then it's a bit of a tourist attraction. There's no guarantee the people of Perry would be as fortunate.

Here's some related links:

• Pros and Cons of wind power
• A wind farm opposition site
• More pros and cons

What do you think? Should there be a wind farm in Perry?  Why or why not?

Note: Today's Daily News is available on new stands now. If you're not a subscriber, you can subscribe at BataviaNews.com.