Commentary: The CLCPA contains a pause button. It's time for the PSC to press it.

 In January, The Business Council joined nearly 30 other industry groups, local chambers, developers and labor representatives in petitioning the Public Service Commission to reconsider New York’s renewable energy timetable. The coalition represents diverse interests from across the state, all of which are concerned with assuring safe, adequate and affordable electricity to serve New York’s businesses and customers.

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Our request is as straightforward as it is urgent. New York is heading to significant reliability issues, and policymakers and consumers alike are raising concerns about increased power costs.

 

New York has set some of the most ambitious clean energy goals in the nation: 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and a zero-emissions grid by 2040, as mandated by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, adopted in 2019.

 

But more than halfway to 2030, New York is little closer to meeting the CLCPA’s renewable energy target than when the law took effect in 2020. Recent state reports acknowledge that the 70% goal will likely slip to the 2036 to 2040 timeframe, and even that projection may be optimistic. Federal policy changes, rising costs and supply chain challenges have slowed renewable development. Meanwhile, the state’s older fossil-fuel plants are being retired faster than new generation is coming online. 

 

Further, we are seeing a surge in electricity demand from electrification of existing energy uses and significant power demands from new economic growth.

 

As result, New York’s reliability margins are shrinking. When margins shrink, outage risks grow. That’s a problem for every household, business and

The CLCPA contains a safeguard: If its renewable mandates jeopardize reliability, the Public Service Commission can temporarily suspend or modify programs after conducting a public hearing. 

 

For the PSC to invoke the CLCPA’s relief mechanism is not a retreat from New York’s clean energy and emissions reduction efforts. Instead, it is a smart recalibration to keep the transition on track without jeopardizing reliability or affordability. And it is a primary responsibility of the PSC is to ensure safe and adequate electric service.

 

The New York Independent System Operator has warned that dispatchable generation, resources that can produce power on demand, will remain essential until new technologies like long-duration storage and advanced renewables are commercially viable. One option is retrofitting and recommissioning existing plants powered by natural gas with cleaner technology, which improves efficiency and reduces emissions without the delays of building new facilities. An adjustment from the PSC could unlock these bridge solutions, buying time for innovation while protecting reliability.

 

Any hearing should also examine the link between renewable program costs and affordability. A transition that prices out families and businesses isn’t sustainable, economically or politically.

 

As NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris and PSC Chair Rory Christian wrote in a letter to the editor published last year in The Buffalo News, the state’s energy initiative “only works if we’re honest about the obstacles, strategic about our priorities and willing to update our playbook when the rules of the game change.”

 

That time is now. Reevaluating and adjusting the CLCPA’s clean energy mandate is the responsible next step. It will allow the PSC to make evidence-based decisions that protect reliability, affordability and climate progress.

 

Ken Pokalsky is the vice president of government affairs for The Business Council of New York State.

 

Commentary: The CLCPA contains a pause button. It's time to press it.

 

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