LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

New York’s grid operators: Cuomo’s green energy plan can’t work 

Credit:  Andrew Follett, Energy and Environment Reporter | The Daily Caller | 07/29/2016 | dailycaller.com ~~

New York’s power grid regulator sharply criticized Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to boost state green energy use Thursday, arguing that adding more wind and solar goals will make it difficult to maintain grid reliability.

New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) said Cuomo’s plan would require the state build “nearly 1,000 miles of new bulk power transmission” to transport electricity from wind turbines and solar panels from upstate to market in New York City. The grid regulator noted Cuomo’s plan would require the state to triple its installed wind-energy capacity and add more solar panels in just 14 years than the combined capacity of Spain and Australia.

NYISO stated that “maintaining electric system reliability,” would require slowing the growth of green energy while “[r]etaining all existing nuclear generators” refuting Cuomo’s plan to close the nuclear plant at Indian Point, which provides up to one quarter of New York City’s electricity.

In early July, NYISO issued a public comment saying Cuomo’s plans would be hard to execute and could cause blackouts. New York currently gets less than 5 percent of its electricity from wind and solar, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. Richard Kauffman, Cuomo’s energy czar, responded with a scathing letter saying NYISO’s concerns were “nothing more than a path prolonging the outdated status quo” and that “change must happen.”

Kauffman said NYISO was being “held captive” by special interests and lacks “understanding into the imperative to address climate change.” Cuomo and Kauffman have been pushing green energy out of a commitment to reduce carbon dioixde (CO2) emissions to slow global warming. As a result, Cuomo directed state regulators in December to come up with a plan to power New York with 50 percent green energy by 2030. The governor also created a $5.3 billion green energy fund to support the plan.

NYISO doesn’t answer to Cuomo and building the infrastructure to move large amounts of solar or wind power across a state is an expensive endeavor which would require cooperation from the grid regulator.

The costs associated with constructing the kind of high voltage power lines needed to transport the power cost $1.9 to $3.1 million per mile built, and the “smart grid” technology said to be able to move wind and solar power can cost up to 50 percent more. A comparable network of transmission lines in Texas capable to move power from wind-rich West Texas eastward was projected to cost $6.8 billion when it began in 2008. The project still isn’t entirely finished.

The best places solar or wind power tend to be far away from the people who will consume power, according to the Department of Energy.

The technical issues associated with transporting wind or solar power across long distances pale in comparison to the technical issues involved with storing the power. In order for the power grid to function, demand for energy must exactly match supply. Power demand is relatively predictable and conventional power plans, like nuclear plants and natural gas, can adjust output accordingly. Solar and wind power, however, cannot be predicted or easily adjust output and the electricity they generate cannot be stored economically.

Additionally, the output of a solar or wind power plant is incredibly unreliable and generally doesn’t coincide with the times when power is most needed as peak electricity demand occurs in the evenings, when solar power is going offline. Adding power plants which only provide power at intermittent and unpredictable times makes the power grid more fragile and risks blackouts.

Source:  Andrew Follett, Energy and Environment Reporter | The Daily Caller | 07/29/2016 | dailycaller.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon