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E&E News
2 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
New York's climate goals are teetering. Trump could knock them over.
Donald Trump is stress testing New York's climate goals. The Empire State was already struggling to meet its ambitious climate targets before Trump returned to the White House in January. Renewable deployments lagged. Transportation emissions barely budged. And concerns over rising energy bills pushed emission reductions down state leaders' priority list. Trump has only added to those difficulties. The president quickly took aim at a state plan to limit the number of vehicles entering Manhattan after reassuming office. He followed up by temporarily halting construction of an offshore wind project that would connect to the electric grid in Brooklyn. His price for lifting the halt: building a pair of pipelines that the state had previously rejected. Advertisement The result is a showdown over one of the country's most ambitious climate plans. Trump and business interests contend new gas pipelines are needed to lower energy costs, bolster economic growth and help household budgets. One pipeline developer, Williams Cos., recently refiled a permit with federal regulators for an expansion of an existing line and has signaled it may resubmit plans for a second new line. 'The President is unleashing the might of American energy and lowering costs for the American people,' White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement. 'Increasing the flow of U.S. natural gas is vitally important for Americans living in the Northeast, and the President's leadership has successfully driven this critical pipeline to life.' Environmentalist say such moves are folly. Gas already generates roughly half the state's electricity and is the leading heating source for buildings. They maintain that burning more of it will not only blow a hole in the state's climate goals, but in consumers' wallets as well. Trump, a Manhattan real estate magnate, is simply seeking to make an example of his former home state, climate advocates say. 'New York has been a leader on climate and this administration is coming after progressive climate policy,' said Raya Salter, a climate advocate who serves on the state's Climate Action Council. 'That's why we need for our state to fight and push harder than ever and be the model that this country and the world needs.' The seeds of the current conflict were sown during Trump's first term, when New York blocked a pair of pipeline proposals and passed one of the country's most ambitious climate laws. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which passed in 2019, requires the state to cut emissions 40 percent compared to 1990 levels by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050. As part of its climate efforts, New York committed to generating 70 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030. New York City enacted a ban on new gas hookups in new large buildings in 2024, a requirement that will extend to all new buildings by 2027. The state passed a new building code with a similar requirement, halting new gas hookups for most large new buildings in 2026 and nearly all new buildings by 2029. But hitting the state's targets would already be difficult, even without Trump's meddling. New York's greenhouse gas emissions were 9 percent below 1990 levels in 2022, according to the state's most recent figures, meaning the state will have to make huge strides to reach a 40 percent reduction by the end of the decade. Only a quarter of the power online today is considered renewable, and the vast majority of that is hydropower. Gas interests have challenged the ban on new hookups in court — and while New York City won a court challenge earlier this year, appeals are expected. Emissions from transportation, New York's largest single source of climate pollution, have hardly moved. In 1990, New York's transportation emissions amounted to 70 million tons of carbon dioxide. In 2022, they were 71 million tons, or about 40 percent of New York's total greenhouse emissions, according to the state's figures. Rising costs New York's difficulty cutting carbon has been compounded by rising energy costs. While most of the U.S. saw natural gas prices fall in 2024, New York and New England were exceptions. Gas prices in New York increased by 14 percent compared to 2023, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's annual state of the markets report. Electricity prices also increased 17 percent in the New York City area, though they remained below their five-year average. Rising costs have become a pressing political issue in Albany. In a sign of the growing political pressure, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, blasted the utility Consolidated Edison in February for proposing an 11 percent increase in electricity rates and a 13 percent increase in gas rates. The difficulty cutting emissions and Hochul's increasing focus on affordability has caused concern among environmentalists, many of whom were already skeptical of the governor's commitment to climate. 'New York has really good climate goals on paper, but the Hochul administration has a long way to go to implement the greenhouse gas commitments the state has already made,' said Judith Enck, who served as EPA Region 2 Administrator in the Obama administration. Those frustrations come with new ones from the Trump administration. The first signs of trouble between the president and his native state came over New York's congestion pricing plan to limit traffic below 60th Street in Manhattan and raise revenue for its ailing public transportation system. Trump rescinded support for the federal program in February, drawing an immediate legal challenge from the state. Last week, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order barring Trump from ending the program while the case is heard. Congestion pricing is not a climate policy, per se. But its backers say it has the added benefit of reducing emissions. A March paper by researchers at Stanford University estimated it had reduced the emissions rates of vehicles traveling in the city's central business district by 2 to 3 percent. As New York works to reduce traffic, it is also attempting to connect a major offshore wind project to Brooklyn homes. Empire Wind 1, which began offshore construction on its 54 turbines in March, is slated to provide enough electricity to 500,000 homes. Offshore wind is a centerpiece of New York's climate and energy plans. The state has a goal of bringing 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity online by 2035. But its plans have been frustrated by rising interest rates and construction costs, which have forced the state to cancel a series of contracts to buy power from offshore wind developments. Empire Wind 1 is one of two offshore wind projects that would add about 1,700 MW of offshore wind capacity to the state's power grid. But in April, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum halted the project, claiming its permit approval had been rushed by the Biden administration. Hochul lobbied Trump hard to lift the stop work order, saying the project was essential for creating jobs and powering the economy. The president ultimately agreed, saying he did so in exchange for permitting new pipeline capacity into the state. Hochul disputes that, even as she signaled she is open to new pipelines that can demonstrate a need for the gas and meet the state's permitting requirements. Many greens doubt Hochul. 'I think this was a deal with the devil that was unnecessary,' Enck said. She predicted the state would have won if it had challenged the stop-work order in court. 'It is deeply disappointing. Of course we want offshore wind, but not at the price of more fracked gas.' Paul DeMichele, a Hochul spokesperson, said the governor 'is embracing an energy policy of abundance to make electricity more affordable and meet the growing demand of businesses looking to expand here — which includes her recent successful effort to save Empire Wind from the federal government's attempt to shut it down.' But if environmentalists saw a sellout, business interests saw a potentially groundbreaking compromise that could end more than a decade of pipeline fights in the Northeast. An attractive gas market A recent S&P Global Study commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce concluded an additional 0.5 billion cubic feet per day of gas capacity into New York would decrease wholesale gas prices by 17 percent. Williams' Northeast Supply Enhancement project — or NESE — would add 0.4 bcf per day of additional capacity. 'It seems natural to me that we could be arriving at a bargain like this,' said Dan Byers, vice president for policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Energy Institute. 'It's hard to think of a clearer example of a self-inflicted economic pain than blocking pipelines to limit supply of gas to your own citizens.' When Williams' initially proposed NESE in 2017, it struck an agreement to supply a pair of National Grid subsidiaries in the New York City area for heating consumption. Today's push comes at a time when New York is trying to wean itself off gas consumption in buildings. A National Grid spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams contends the additional capacity would not only lower gas prices for consumers, but bolster the reliability of the state's electric grid, which can be strained during the winter months when New York's limited gas pipeline network labors to keep up with heating and power demand. Many gas plants in the state are equipped with oil tanks and switch over to the fuel during periods of cold. Williams has also signaled it plans to revive the Constitution Pipeline project, which would run 127 miles from Pennsylvania toward Albany. 'The NESE and Constitution projects are essential to address persistent natural gas supply constraints in the Northeast, constraints that have led to higher energy costs for consumers and increased reliance on higher-emission fuels like fuel oil,' the company said in a statement. Gas drillers in Pennsylvania view New York and New England as attractive markets because the region boasts some of the highest gas prices in the country, said Ira Joseph, a longtime gas analyst and senior research associate at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. New York's relative proximity is also attractive for Pennsylvania producers who now ship much of their gas to the Gulf Coast, where it is liquefied and exported abroad as LNG, he said. New York's electrification mandates could limit gas demand growth in the future. The question is whether they will cause gas demand in buildings to fall, he said, adding,'the goal of moving pipelines into New York state is not to have gas demand fall.' Consumers would likely benefit in the form of lower prices, but it would likely come at the expense of the state's climate goals, Joseph said. 'It's going to be hard to reach the goals if you keep building infrastructure to expand consumption,' he said.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Residents reveal nightmare caused by massive tech facility near homes: 'Like a jet engine that never leaves'
Bitcoin mining operations are turning quiet rural areas across America into industrial zones, bringing noise and pollution to communities from New York's Finger Lakes to small towns in North Carolina, The New Republic reported. Bitcoin mining is the energy-intensive process that creates new bitcoin cryptocurrency. Miners use thousands of computer rigs that operate 24/7, solving complex puzzles to earn new coins. These facilities require massive amounts of electricity and water as well as industrial-sized fans for cooling that create persistent noise. Bitcoin mining presents serious environmental challenges due to its enormous resource demands. These operations consumed about 70 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2023, more than the entire state of New Jersey used that year, according to U.S. Department of Energy data cited by The New Republic. The impact affects more than just energy use. Near Dresden, New York, the Greenidge Generation crypto mine emitted more than 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide in 2024. Nationwide, bitcoin mines, primarily powered by dirty fuels, use 2% of the country's electricity. "I think this is going to mean increased impacts on local communities that we've seen across the country," said Mandy DeRoche, deputy managing attorney at the Clean Energy Program at Earthjustice, in anticipation of even more bitcoin mines opening. The health impacts on nearby residents are substantial. In Granbury, Texas, residents are suing a bitcoin mining company over noise pollution they claim is causing hearing loss and migraines. Cyndie Roberson bought her dream cabin on North Carolina's Hiwassee River in 2020. A year later, she was battling constant noise from a nearby bitcoin mine. "It's like a jet engine that never leaves," she told The New Republic. "It is a low-frequency hum, and that low frequency, I've learned, is far more irritating to human beings." Her experience aligns with research showing that chronic noise exposure is troublesome. It can increase risks of cardiovascular disease. Ultimately, the stress drove Roberson to sell her home and move. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Residents are fighting back through organizing and legal challenges, as The New Republic detailed. In Murphy, North Carolina, Roberson's advocacy group secured a ban on new crypto mines. Environmental groups in New York are challenging mines through the state's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. In Seneca Lake, advocates sued Greenidge Generation over its pollution. "It has been absolutely exhausting and infuriating to deal with a company that refuses to accept the law," said Yvonne Taylor, a Seneca Lake resident and member of Seneca Lake Guardian. With limited federal regulations and recent policy shifts favoring cryptocurrency expansion, local action has become increasingly important. "We can't expect protection from the federal government. We're going to protect ourselves," said Deb Gondek, who lives near a crypto mine in New York that also increased electricity costs for area residents. While the industry claims to be shifting toward cleaner energy sources, mining cryptocurrency remains an energy-intensive process. For affected communities, the issue crosses political divides. "Nationally, it's going to get worse," Roberson said. "But in our hometowns and our counties, maybe in our states, we can change things." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
New York Post
25-04-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Long Island wind power is yet another green screwjob — forcing New Yorkers to pay more than DOUBLE for energy
Gov. Kathy Hochul's green-energy lunacy keeps socking New Yorkers, with the latest blow coming from the Empire Wind One offshore turbine project. Team Trump has blocked it for now, and that's great news (despite Eric Adams' pleading that it should go forward): If it went into operation, New Yorkers would be forced to pay a brain-busting 2.5 times the market rate for energy, an independent analysis found. Advertisement The project won a sweetheart contract to provide energy at $155 per megawatt hour, as opposed to the wholesale-market rate of around $50, an effective subsidy on the order of $9 billion over the life of the facility. Taxpayers will see their bills soar. Why on earth, you might ask, is that jacked-up rate even on the table? Advertisement Because the New York Independent System Operator, the entity in charge of the state's power grid, is mandated to buy 'green' energy over cheaper and more reliable gas or nuclear. Under Andrew Cuomo's insane Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York has to move to 70% renewable energy by 2030, and 100% zero-emissions energy by 2040. Neither of those goals will be met, of course. And even if they were, it would make virtually no difference in mitigating climate change, as greenhouse-gas output continues to rise unhindered elsewhere in America and from China, the world's biggest emitter. Advertisement All the law and related policies will do is put ever-tighter squeezes on New Yorkers in pursuit of solar and wind energy and severely limit the available supply of power, boosting the risk of blackouts. Lose-lose-lose, in other words. Wind and solar are fine as limited backups, but they can't, and won't, replace fossil fuels and nuclear energy in the today's economy any time soon. It's high time the climate radicals admit this and embrace an abundance agenda — and stop hurting everyday New Yorkers in the name of their fantasy ideology.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Yorkers revolt against ‘toxic' new neighborhood battery storage facilities as backlash grows to green energy law
It's the new not-in-my-backyard rage – and the latest blow to New York's green energy agenda. New Yorkers are lining up in opposition to dozens of new lithium-ion battery storage facilities planned across the Big Apple and beyond, over fears they could spark toxic infernos in residential neighborhoods. Queens Councilman Robert Holden said he doesn't want his neighborhood to turn into a potential 'mini-Chernobyl' — a reference to the nuclear power plant disaster in Ukraine on April 26, 1986 that released a mass amount of radioactive material and forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 residents. 'Why are we putting our children in a dangerous situation?' lifelong Middle Village and stay-at-home mom, Graceann Faulkner, 50, told The Post at one recent protest of a proposed NineDot Energy battery warehouse. The site, which is now vacant at 64-30 69th Place, stands next to a daycare and preschool (Books & Rattles, Inc.), the Juniper Valley Animal Hospital and also lies across the street from PS 128. Faulkner said she would pull her fifth grade daughter, Christina, out of PS 128, if plans for the battery storage facility power ahead. NineDot Energy spokesperson Karen Alter, when contacted by The Post, said the Brooklyn-based firm had not made a 'final decision on moving forward.' In a copy of emails with community officials obtained by The Post, NineDot rep Sam Brill defended the safety of such battery sites, including a NineDot battery facility in the Bronx, that for years has 'safely operated' 40 feet from a public school. 'FDNY wouldn't let us build these if they weren't safe,' Brill said. The standoff is an increasingly common sight in the five boroughs with locals complaining potential blazes would be difficult to put out, as battery storage explosions in California have shown. California's Public Utilities Commission recently tightened up safety rules for these facilities following fires that spewed toxic smoke. The batteries store energy, primarily from emerging solar and wind power, to help New York meet targets under the much-criticized Climate Act of 2019 approved by then-Gov Andrew Cuomo — now a mayoral candidate. Under the plan, New York must reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 and have 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040. Rules require New York to generate 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035, 6,000 megawatts of solar energy by 2025 and build 3,000 megawatts of energy storage by 2030. 'Energy storage will help achieve the aggressive Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal of getting 70% of New York's electricity from renewable sources by 2030,' NYS Energy and Research and Development Authority [NYSERDA] said. But the targets are unachievable, even clean energy advocates admit. The Public Service Commission — mostly staffed by commissioners appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul — has authority to locate battery energy storage facilities with a capacity of at least 80 megawatts. But officials in New York City and other localities have the authority to approve or reject battery storage facilities with lower capacity under 80MW — which represents most projects, according to the PSC. There are 74 existing battery storage facilities in the city — 18 each in Brooklyn and Manhattan, 16 in Queens, and 11 in The Bronx and Staten Island, according to the NYSERDA website. Statewide, there are 6,304 such projects. Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa said the rage against the battery storage warehouses is a sleeping giant issue that could propel him to victory in the race for City Hall, likening it to opposition to borough-based jails and migrant shelters. 'They're putting them up in residential rage from residents … is palpable,' Sliwa said during a Post editorial board interview. Whether the facilities could sway the mayoral race, plans for new warehouses is riling locals. 'They just found a cheap available land, but our lives are not cheap…..our own children are not cheap,' Brooklyn Assemblyman Michael Novakhov said after he spearheaded an April 6 rally against the installation of a lithium-ion station at 2481 McDonald Ave. in Gravesend. There's also stiff opposition to numerous battery storage sites in Staten Island. One such facility is located on Nelson Avenue between a gas station and a home, said island Borough President Vito Fossella, who is eying a lawsuit to block the projects. 'Battery storage facilities should not be located next to people's homes or gas stations,' Fossella said. He said the pressure to comply with the Climate Act is putting health and safety at risk. 'It's clearly a rush job,' Fossella said. 'We're not crying wolf. This is a hazard waiting to happen.' State officials insisted the battery storage sites are safe. The city's energy storage regulations crafted by the FDNY and Buildings Department 'are widely regarded as among the strongest in the country' and have been adopted for statewide projects by the governor's Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group, a NYSERDA spokesperson said. The working group has issued recommendations that 'prioritize the safety of all New Yorkers and reaffirm New York's commitment to the safe deployment of energy storage—positioning New York as a national leader in battery energy storage safety,' the NYSERDA rep added.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Readers sound off on New York's nature, trade unions and Martin Sheen
Manhattan: New Yorkers need conservation. Our parks and forests provide shade on hot days, reduce air pollution and support mental wellbeing and healthier outcomes for communities. Even in our metropolis, conserved areas — parks, forests, wetlands, riverbanks, beaches and bays — offer essential habitats for wildlife. Trust for Public Land (TPL) has helped protect more than 124,000 acres in New York over the past 40 years, but in the last six, that number dropped to just 553 acres. Bureaucratic delays and shifting priorities have drastically slowed conservation efforts. Such a decline is reflected across the state, which once protected an average 70,000 acres annually; it now preserves fewer than 5,000 — despite voters approving a $4.2 billion environmental bond act in 2022. With climate change having a greater impact on communities and nature disappearing at an alarming rate, New York's conservation efforts must regain momentum. Land trusts like ours can't afford to hold properties indefinitely while the state's acquisition process drags on. Conservation projects are stalling — but the state budget presents a key opportunity to change this. Gov. Hochul and the state Senate and Assembly have proposed measures to increase conservation funding and modernize the state's slow acquisition process. Their plan includes $500 million for the Environmental Protection Fund, with $60 million for land conservation. Key policy changes would cut bureaucratic bottlenecks by allowing title insurance in conservation land transactions, empowering the Department of Environmental Conservation to acquire conservation easements directly, and eliminating some taxes on land conservation projects by nonprofit organizations. These common-sense reforms will save taxpayers money while ensuring cleaner air and water and more green space. Tamar Renaud, New York State director, TPL Manhattan: April is Earth Month, and finally, someone is standing up to our governor's foot-dragging on climate. For six years, our Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) has been directing us to reduce our polluting emission by 40% by 2030 (just five years off!). And our governor's Department of Environmental Conservation has not even published final rules informing major polluters of how much their excessive emissions will cost them — or when! That's why four conscientious organizations, including the Sierra Club, have sued the governor and her 'conservation' department to act. The DEC and governor both need that good kick. Thomas A. Caffrey Manhattan: A study published in the journal Nature using real-world data from the U.K. found that individuals who received the shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia over the next seven years compared to the ones who did not receive the vaccine. Alan Lehrer New Bedford, Mass.: Rumors surrounding the 9/11 attacks have been discredited while the U.S. government has admitted to having a direct hand in destabilizing Middle Eastern countries like Iran. This is while the U.S. military has been spending millions of dollars to arm and train paramilitary groups in Middle Eastern countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. These are not conspiracy theories but historical fact. Given the U.S. military's illegal involvement in the Middle East during the Iran-Contra scandal, how many supplies, including arms and munitions, were left unaccounted for? Did Osama Bin Laden's camouflage jacket come from the U.S. military? Were the Kalashnikovs used by him and Al Qaeda relics of Russia's Afghanistan invasion or due to illegal arms smuggling during Iran-Contra? Given the U.S.'s active participation in Israel's total war and possible attempted genocide against the Palestinian people, getting truthful answers to difficult questions like these is more important than ever. Justin Lavine Williamsburg, Va.: Why has Israel been placing tariffs on American goods when America provides aid and weapons to Israel? This is no way to treat a friend that has continued to support Israel in its wars with terrorists and the Arab states. President Trump talks about being taken advantage of, yet he has allowed Israel to impose tariffs on American goods while America imposed no tariffs on goods produced in Israel. I no longer have respect for Israel. It should be ashamed of itself and immediately apologize to the American people. John Lemandri Brooklyn: In all the talk of expected price increases due to increased/retaliatory tariffs and, among other things, making tax cuts for the wealthy permanent, there's one thing never mentioned: Where are the increases in salaries of everyday workers? Will Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment increases match increases in everyday expenses? I only read and hear that we must be willing to bear the burdens of these changes, but with price increases and cuts to supplemental programs that Americans already rely on to help make ends meet, there's no mention of increasing incomes now or in the future of this assumed-to-be-increased prosperity for our country. The only people who will get more out of all this are the ones who already have much more than the average American, and that's not 'great' at all. Wanda Peakes Manhattan: Dear President Trump, please stop treating the American economy like it is one of your businesses. I do not wish to see my 401(k) and IRA join your too-numerous-to-mention-here bankruptcies and other failed ventures. W.T. Bredin Bayside: Voicer Tom Ascher's letter was an inaccurate summary of layoffs during prior administrations, and I suspect inaccurate in the numbers listed. There is no hypocrisy and no comparison between prior administrations and this one. Prior layoffs were not decided by a non-governmental employee displaying a chainsaw with talk of sending government functions to the wood chipper. They were accomplished by reorganization of functions, attrition, buyouts and early retirement offers. No elimination of jobs and worldwide responsibilities due to 'just because' or DEI paranoia. The eliminations were calculated so that government could function smoothly and so employees were not dehumanized. I know. I was an IRS appeals officer who, at the end of 2004, accepted an early retirement package. Andrea Harris Castlebar, Ireland: The only defense the average citizen in a modern industrial country has against bad government is the trade union movement. Sadly, the movement in America is benign, yet they take members' subscriptions every week. They have a duty to protect their members and society as a whole. What the lunatic Elon Musk is doing to workers in America is a disgrace. Slimming government is commendable to a degree, but the way he's going about it is wrong. He's callously sacking people who served the country for 10 or more years, causing thousands of honest, decent workers to go hungry, especially those with large families. The way to slim government is through natural wastage. People are retiring all the time. With proper planning, their tasks could be redistributed throughout the rest of the workforce. If Musk continues, the trade union movement should consider a general strike. John Fair Belvidere, N.J.: Bravo to Voicer Wendy Packus. To put it another way, Andrew Cuomo is a rabid abortion fanatic while Trump advocates for religious pro-lifers to have legal protection in the public realm as a defense against abortion politics. In January 2019, when then-Gov. Cuomo signed the ultra-abortion Reproductive Health Act into law, he received criticism from Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, among other Catholics bishops. The 'Catholic' Cuomo's response was: 'I have my own Catholic beliefs.' If he has a 'Catechism of the Catholic Church,' the last time he opened it for study was most likely as a child. Cuomo is no more Catholic than a New Testament gentile. Dan Arthur Pryor Utica, N.Y.: Martin Sheen began his acting career in 1959 as a struggling actor in New York. He moved into a stellar film career. Now 84, Sheen has never won an Oscar. They call him an actor's actor. When Oscar season rolls around every year, I am disappointed and puzzled when Sheen is overlooked for an honorary Oscar. He should be honored for his long career and body of work. Kathleen Ball Linden, N.J.: When animals eat us, we're only getting what we deserve because we eat animals. Christ said, 'Do unto others what you would have done unto you.' He didn't say 'other people,' he just said 'others.' So, I feel that 'others' includes animals. Even Ghandi said, 'The lower animals are our brethren.' Ron Jackowski
