Renewable energy experts say the law is needed to improve reliability for future storms
By Chloe Bennett
Following intense storms in the North Country that caused outages for many residents, Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, called for amendments to the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA.) The lawmaker pointed to recent power outages to promote concerns around electricity reliability and what he said is a lack of cost transparency in the law’s implementation.
“The renewably sourced energy being advanced by the (Public Service Commission) and Democrat leaders is simply not capable of meeting the challenges of an emergency like the one our region is currently facing,” he wrote on his legislative webpage.
The climate law, now in its fifth year, calls for an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050. State policies to transition away from fossil fuel reliance include electrifying buildings and investing in renewable energy sources like offshore wind and solar.
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Defending the climate law
“The idea that rolling back a climate law that would make our infrastructure power more sustainable and less polluting and to keep things the way they are now, well, that wouldn’t serve us very well because right now, our system is not resilient,” said Jessica Ottney Mahar, director of policy and strategy for The Nature Conservancy in New York.
According to Jill Henck, clean energy program director for the Adirondack North Country Association, a majority of Adirondack Park residents have inconsistent access to utility gas. An analysis from the organization found that many rely on electric, fuel oil, kerosene or wood-based heating systems. Installing an electric heating system through state or federal incentives like the Inflation Reduction Act is a safer alternative, she said.
“The CLCPA is not perfect but I am proud to work on this ambitious initiative that was enacted to make my home, my neighbors and my children safer,” said Henck, who is also part of the state’s Climate Justice Working Group and the Energy Equity Collaborative.
Read the full article in the Adirondack Explorer.
Banner photo of Saranac Lake Community Solar project