RELEASE: IMMEDIATE, January 23, 2002
CONTACT: Tom Collins, NYSERDA
(518) 862-1090, ext. 3250
Buffalo, NY – – The New York State Energy Planning Board
will be holding one of nine public hearings that will be staged statewide
throughout the next couple of months to discuss the Draft State Energy
Plan. The first of which will be in Buffalo on January 23, at the
Adams Mark Hotel, 120 Church Street at 9:00am and 1:00pm. This offers
the opportunity for the public to voice their comments and concerns
regarding the State's energy future. The Draft Energy Plan, approved
by the Planning Board on December 11, 2001, is a guide to assist policy
makers and state agencies make energy related decisions.
According to the Chairman of the Planning Board, William Flynn,
under Governor Pataki's direction the State of New York is leading
the nation by example toward a more secure energy future using sound
policies that will decrease our dependancy on imported energy, preserve
and protect our environmental resources, and spur economic development
and job growth.
The Draft Plan offers a look into energy issues such as the importance
of investing in energy efficiency and renewable technologies to increase
economic growth while ensuring the protection of the environment,
the need for additional electricity generation and infrastructure
to maintain safe, secure and reliable operation of the energy infrastructure,
as well as the need for alternative fuels to improve energy security
and diversity of the State's energy mix, which is natural gas and
electric, as opposed to more dependancy on petroleum.
The Draft Energy Plan strongly advises that the State take advantage
of innovative technologies and cleaner energy technologies to sustain
energy security and boost economic development, job growth and environmental
protection. Innovative technologies such as fuel cells, microturbines,
and photovoltaics can supply on-site power efficiently, typically
with fewer environmental impacts than conventional power plants, while
also reducing the need for central station power plants and relieving
some of the burden on the State's transmission infrastructure. The
plan urges investments in the programs and public awareness to help
customers take advantage of these technologies.
Another crucial point the Plan recognizes is the economic activity
and it's link to availability and price of energy. New York State
imports eighty-nine percent of the energy that is utilized by the
State which costs $38.4 billion a year. An approach to lessening the
need for imported energy and the likely exposure to the changing energy
markets is to continue to develop renewable and indigenous energy
sources. An example of this approach can be seen with our Madison
County Wind Project, this being the largest wind farm east of the
Mississippi River, has been a large contributor to the more than 40
megawatts of wind energy come on-line within the last 16 months. As
well, an investment in a bio-fuels industry in the State that can
produce home-grown energy and reduce the need for imported energy
is included in the Draft Plan.
Finally, the Draft Plan calls for an assessment of the risks to
the State's energy infrastructure, including power plants, transmission
lines, and pipelines. The September 11th attacks impresses upon the
Energy Planning Board the urgency and need for such an assessment
given the vital role energy plays in our daily lives.
Those who were unable to attend the hearing today can send in written
comments until March 15, 2002. A copy of the Draft Plan can be found
on NYSERDA's website (www.nyserda.org)
or by calling toll free 1-866-NYSERDA.
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