The Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY) has voiced its concerns about a measure in New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2024 Executive Budget proposal that would give new authority to the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to own, develop, finance and operate renewable energy facilities.
“We fully acknowledge that renewable energy projects are not being deployed fast enough,” says Anne Reynolds, executive director of ACE NY. “It makes complete sense that NYPA should be involved in helping break down barriers to renewable energy development, but we do not agree with this approach.”
Developing renewable energy projects in New York is difficult, costly, financially risky and time-consuming, the organization says. ACE NY believes that a combination of private enterprise, in close collaboration with government agencies like NYPA and NYSERDA, and community and environmental advocacy groups, is the most cost-effective, efficient way to get responsibly sited wind and solar power projects built.
“There are real barriers to renewable energy projects reaching construction in New York,” Reynolds says. “There are significant transmission constraints, onerous permitting processes, non-standardized project taxation and an interconnection process that takes too long and is too expensive.
“This proposal does not solve – or even help to solve – any of these problems,” she says. “A better approach would be to harness NYPA’s resources and expertise to invest in the transmission system to unbottle opportunities to site wind and solar energy projects and open up new areas for projects, in addition to making other improvements to the investment landscape in New York.”
