The state of New York’s future energy is being drafted as you’re reading this. On March 6, the New York State Energy Planning Board held its final public hearing for the 2014 New York State Energy Plan.

While many took the opportunity to express benefits and concern on the draft plan, the remaining public should take advantage of an extended public comment period to remark on the plan’s vague and lofty goals.

The draft plan, first released on Jan. 7, is a long-winded work split into two volumes, with one volume focused on 15 key initiatives and the second concentrated on background detail, including energy use, sources and environmental effects. While the document is lengthy, it lacks detail to back up its extremely high goals.

Of these goals, the highest standard set is a proposed 80 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from levels in 1990 by 2050. While this goal is completely necessary to combat global climate change and create a secure energy future for New York, the lack of detail on how our state will reach these goals is not only problematic, but seems to be setting the stage for failure.

In addition to this lack of detail, other plans within the draft seem to contradict this decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. One contradiction commits New York to continue natural gas consumption at or above current levels. While natural gas usage is believed by some to be a transition fuel to greener power, natural gas is still a fossil fuel, which will make achieving the reduction goal more difficult.

Even with cleaner combustion practices and technology, methane emissions are even stronger greenhouse gases than more abundant carbon dioxide emissions. It seems clear that our state cannot increase the levels of usage and reduce emission at the same time. Even if switching to natural gas means reducing other fossil fuels, it will just mean that we will be switching to different emissions.

Another contradiction in the plan is the lack of recommitment to goals New York already set in the mid 2000s. Currently, the state has goals for energy efficiency and renewable energy by 2015, but even as the plan speaks of increased efficiency and renewable energies, it does not mention a continuation of these goals already in place.

With these shortcomings, there is a lack of detail about several other parts of the plan. With the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the plan proposes to increase nuclear power generation levels above what they are today by 2030. This proposal seems extremely lofty due to the divided public opinion on nuclear power, as well as the nuclear retirement schedule for New York.

By 2050, all nuclear reactors’ licenses will expire. Some reactors have even sooner expiration dates, such as the December 2015 expiration of Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, NY.

With these expirations, nuclear power is still a highly contested topic throughout New York and the entire country.

Though 30 percent of our state’s energy does come from nuclear power, with looming expiration dates and low public approval of nuclear power, it is unclear how New York would increase this power source.

While the New York State Energy Plan is a draft, extremely lofty goals and vague or absent details decrease the feasibility of the plan. As these issues are problematic for the future of our state, it is imperative that the public comments on the plan. It is especially pertinent for students to play a part, as the plan will greatly affect our future.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has recently extended the comment period through April 30, with options to comment via mail or online. Make sure to check out the plan, available online, and have your voice heard before the draft becomes final.

Meg Callaghan is a senior environmental studies major at SUNY-ESF. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at mlcallag@syr.edu.

Published on March 20, 2014 at 1:14 am