NYSERDA Findings Validate BCW’s Concerns About  Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

Recent findings released by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provide a sobering validation of the Business Council of Westchester’s (BCW) long-standing concerns regarding the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

The state’s recent analysis confirms that the BCW’s Clean Energy Action Coalition initiative is not just timely, but critical to the survival of Westchester County’s economy.

To successfully recruit and retain businesses in Westchester, we must build a power system that is reliable, affordable, and sustainable. While we continue to support the laudable goals of the CLCPA, the BCW believes that we need to prioritize initiatives that immediately reduce energy costs while we make a more systematic transition to a clean energy economy.

Specifically:

1. Increase education and participation in Peak Demand Reduction programs, which reduced electric demand by 1,000 Megawatts (MWs) this past June, helping avoid blackouts and reducing the need for costly, polluting “peaker plants” that cost New York State consumers billions of dollars. In addition to keeping the lights on and reducing emissions, participating consumers also immediately save on their energy bills.
2. Speed the adoption of solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS), which can provide local power when and where it’s most needed. New York should recognize that, in both the immediate and long term, the least expensive electric power is from renewable energy sources. Last century’s hydroelectricity is the cheapest source of power in the state because when we build, own, and maintain a renewable energy source, nature provides “the fuel.” The additional benefit is that solar and BESS can be deployed within a few years (vs. a decade or more for other power plants). And they provide resilient back-up power when extreme weather takes the grid down, saving lives and keeping businesses operating.
3. Recognize that, under any scenario, heavy duty transportation will not be electrified for decades. Rather than “letting the perfect be the enemy of the good,” New York should immediately move to Renewable Diesel (RD), which can be immediately blended into any tank without any infrastructure changes, and is chemically equivalent to fossil diesel. Seventy-five percent of California’s diesel transportation is now powered by Renewable Diesel, reducing both particulate and carbon emissions by 80% at a cost that is often less than fossil diesel. The additional benefit is that RD can be used in any oil heating system, creating additional emission and carbon reductions without any infrastructure changes.

NYSERDA’s memo makes it clear: the original design of the CLCPA, characterized by inflexible near-term targets and unconventional accounting standards, threatens to impose additional costs on New York’s families and employers on top of the staggering increases being caused by our deteriorating natural gas infrastructure and volatile fossil fuel prices.

The BCW applauds Governor Kathy Hochul for her pragmatism in recognizing the CLCPA’s current shortcomings. By adopting an all-the-above energy strategy and pausing specific initiatives that are proving too costly for New Yorkers, the Governor is taking the necessary steps to align climate goals with economic reality.

The Clean Energy Action Coalition remains committed to working with local and state leaders to refine these policies, ensuring that Westchester remains a premier destination for business through a balanced, common-sense energy transition.