 |
||
|
||
|
New
Measure Will Benefit Electric Customers, Spur The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) praised New York Gov. George Pataki for his commitment to a major statewide expansion of renewable energy. The trade group said the measure, a renewables portfolio standard (RPS), will ensure that more electricity is generated from wind, biomass and other domestic, non-polluting, and renewable sources. The policy was unveiled today in the Governor’s State of the State address and will benefit customers in one of the largest state energy markets in the U.S. “Gov. Pataki's enlightened and forward-looking decision places New York solidly ahead on the path toward a clean and secure energy future,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. "The very achievable goal set by the Governor will spur the development of wind power, a power source that is abundant in New York." AWEA’s Regional Representative David Wooley noted: “The RPS announced by Gov. Pataki will make the state’s energy supply less dependent on imported fossil fuels and help stabilize prices of electricity and natural gas. Wind power acts as a buffer against electricity price volatility because the wind is free and inexhaustible." AWEA estimates that the Governor’s new initiative will also eventually generate $100 million dollars a year in income, local tax revenue, and jobs to farmers and communities that host wind power generators in New York." Farmers earn income from leasing their "wind rights" and continue to grow crops up to the base of the turbines located on their land. The policy also will create thousands of construction jobs. A renewable portfolio standard requires each retail electricity company to use renewable energy to supply a small percentage of the power consumed by homes and businesses. Renewable energy companies bid against each other competitively to provide the required renewable electricity supply. The renewable portfolio standard will be established through action of the New York Public Service Commission, and will increase the percentage of electricity supplied by renewable generation to 25% by 2012. Most of the increase is expected to result from wind and biomass energy development. Renewables, including hydro-electric power, currently supply about 17% of electricity sold in NY. While some aspects of the policy will be worked out in Commission proceedings, NY’s RPS is likely to resemble that established in Texas under former Governor George Bush, Jr. The Texas RPS caused a rapid increase in wind energy investment, and Texas is now the second-largest generator of wind power after California. "The RPS policy will enhance the effectiveness of other Pataki Administration policies to promote renewable energy, including the Governor's Executive Order requiring state agencies to purchase 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010, and new opportunities for electric customers to purchase green power," noted Wooley. Recently the NYPSC gave homeowners and businesses the option to purchase renewable energy through their regular electricity bill. These programs will continue, and customers will have the option to purchase a higher percentage of renewables in their electric power supply than is required by the RPS. “The RPS could expand markets for premium ‘green’ electric power by increasing the supply of low cost renewable energy supplies in the region,“ Wooley said. Because NY is still dependent on coal, natural gas and oil for much of its electricity generation, the development of wind and other renewable energy resources can dramatically reduce air pollution emissions. AWEA estimates that the RPS policy adopted by Governor Pataki will reduce carbon dioxide emissions (a major greenhouse gas) by over 2 million tons per year. By replacing fossil generation that emits over 55,000 tons/year of acid rain and summer smog pollutants (sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions) the RPS will help protect health and lower the cost of meeting NY’s acid rain and smog control rules. ### AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy |
||
©
2003 by the American Wind Energy Association. |
