Electricity Alone Won’t Solve Our Problems — We Need a Balanced Energy Strategy That Includes Low-Carbon Traditional Fuels
We support the goal of reducing carbon emissions in order to reduce the terrible impact of climate change. Unfortunately, as much as some academics might wish that we could do this by converting everything to electricity, the real world is different. Technological hurdles, huge costs and disruptions to people’s daily lives are all heightened when we only focus on electricity as the answer. The evidence keeps mounting that we need a multifaceted approach. To that end, our legislators and the governor need to know that the path we’re traveling is too narrow to give us confidence that we’ll be able to do that.
In 2023, right before Christmas, over 76,000 people around Buffalo lost power in frigid conditions that took the lives of several dozen people. In March of that same year, over 100,000 people lost power when a nor’easter pummeled the region with snow and high winds. If NY continues down this path, you can expect even more outages.
Unfortunately, NY’s climate plans don’t seem to prioritize the reliability of the grid. They prioritize carbon emissions. So they would outlaw the use of natural gas and oil for power production, even though these fuels generate more than half the electricity New Yorkers use in winter, especially on the coldest days. They call for the transition to renewable power at a speed and scale that has rarely, if ever, been seen. And all this is happening at the same time as nuclear power plants have been decommissioned, removing them as a power source, and as NY works to rapidly increase electric use in homes, buildings and cars. If you’re waiting for renewable energy projects to make up the gap, guess again.
Rich Dewey, CEO of New York grid operator NYISO, have spoken out about the risk of an overwhelmed grid as a result, saying in 2024, “I have grave concerns about the winters of 2030, 2031 and 2032.”
Is it any wonder that so many people are likewise concerned about the future reliability of our electric grid in NY?
The CLCPA law mandates that 70 percent of New York’s grid electricity come from renewable sources by 2030 and 100 percent by 2040. This will require a massive increase in new renewable power generation at the same time as the state is helping thousands of homes, buildings and cars convert to electricity. Experts have claimed there will be as much as a 10 percent gap in power needed vs. generating capacity if the Climate Action Council plans are followed. That would be a huge problem.
Only about 10 percent of our state’s electricity currently comes from wind and solar. Meanwhile, natural gas and other fossil fuels generate roughly half of our electricity. (More on the coldest days.)
Nuclear power supplies about one-quarter of our electricity. Yet, nuclear power facilities are being decommissioned at an alarming rate. In April 2021, the Indian Point nuclear power plant went offline, taking 40 percent of the state’s nuclear generation with it.
Moreover, solar and wind cannot provide power 24 hours a day, unlike the generation sources they’re supposed to replace. Critical breakthroughs in battery storage technology essential to this plan have not been deployed on the scale that would be required in New York.
In 2024, the NYS Comptroller released a scathing report faulting the commission charged with facilitating our grid’s transition for using outdated data and grossly miscalculating our state’s ability to reach these mandates. The report also said the commission has no backup plan if they could not meet their goals. Who do you think will face the consequences of these issues? Everyday New Yorkers.
*Source: IEA, NY-ISO
[NOTE: Dual Fuel means Gas/Oil, as in systems that can switch from one fuel to the other, depending on which fuel is more readily available.]
Can we really trust this process?
Advocates may argue that the grid can be made renewable fairly quickly, but we’ve seen the opposite. The CLCPA was passed without any analysis of how NY’s 70-year-old grid could be moved to new and untested renewable generation sources. The commission tasked with implementing this transition has repeatedly failed to provide cost estimates when requested, and a NYS Comptroller audit found that the commission was working from outdated data and making miscalculations in its planning. Does this sound like a coherent or trustworthy process?
Let Albany know we need a more diverse energy solutionTake Action!
It’s not too late to avoid catastrophe! Speak up NOW and tell the governor and your legislators that you’re concerned they’re moving too far, too fast. All you have to do is click below to let your voice be heard. Please ACT NOW!
Take Action Today!Lowering NY Energy Use Through Efficiency Upgrades
A huge component of emissions reduction that needs to be more prominently addressed is improving the insulation and overall efficiency of our buildings. The U.S. Department of Energy states that adding insulation to attics, floors, crawlspaces and basements can lower heating and cooling-related energy usage by up to 20%. That reduces not only heating fuel consumption but also electricity use.
Upgrading to higher-efficiency HVAC systems likewise offers immediate reductions in building emissions. These efficiency upgrades are significantly less expensive or disruptive than a whole-home conversion to electric heat pumps — and they yield ongoing energy savings to homeowners and building owners.
Diversifying Our Energy Sources
Improvements in the renewable content of traditional fossil fuels coupled with increased efficiency of their equipment allow us to reduce carbon output faster and with less extraordinary expense on infrastructure.
It’s time to recognize that trying to be perfect is the enemy of being good. Fuels like Heating Oil, Propane Gas, and Natural Gas have an important practical role to play in the decarbonization process.
Propane Gas
- Propane has some of the lowest carbon emissions per million BTUs of any home energy source.*
- Propane produces 43% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than using an equivalent amount of electricity generated from the national electric grid.**
- The U.S. Department of Energy classifies it as a clean alternative fuel.
- Even electrification advocates admit electrifying everything nationally will take over 20 years and cost about $20-$25 trillion. By replacing heavy carbon engines and appliances, clean and renewable energy like propane can accelerate decarbonization today.
Renewable Propane Gas
While it is not in common use yet, renewable propane gas is positioned to be a major part of the fuel conversation in the coming months and years. Sporting ultra low carbon intensity, it is created in the same process as biodiesel from animal fats, biomass, plant matter, etc. Because it is molecularly identical to conventional propane gas, the two can be blended together to work in existing systems without huge conversion costs.
Learn more about propane gas and renewable propane gas today!
*Source: https://www.eia.gov/environment/emissions/co2_vol_mass.php
**Source: Propane Education & Research Council
- Natural gas is described by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) as an “efficient, relatively clean burning, and economical energy source.”
- Natural gas has been instrumental in dramatically lowering the Northeast U.S.’s use of coal for electricity generation. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), natural gas offers a flexibility that makes it “a good fit for the rise of variable renewables such as wind and solar [photovoltaics].”
- In colder climates, natural gas will keep you warmer than electric heat for less money — plain and simple.
The Future: Renewable Natural Gas
In the coming years, you may hear more about renewable natural gas. Made from organic waste like manure, landfills, yard waste and discarded food, this biogas is captured during anaerobic digestion, where bacteria break down organic matter in an oxygen-free environment. The gas is then purified to meet industry standards and added to the natural gas system. Renewable natural gas has the same properties as natural gas but is carbon-neutral due to its organic production process. It also helps reduce methane and greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural and waste sites. By 2030, the U.S. could produce up to 10 trillion cubic feet of renewable natural gas annually — nearly one-third of today’s domestic natural gas production!
- Right now, roughly 1.4 million NY households use Bioheat® fuel, a combination of ultra-low-sulfur heating oil and 100% renewable biodiesel. This revolutionary home heating fuel works in existing systems without expensive conversions and slashes CO2, sulfur oxide, mercury and particulate matter emissions.
- B20 Bioheat fuel reduces CO2 emissions by 14.6%. Using B50 Bioheat fuel eliminates 4.29 million metric tons of carbon, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 36.5%. Learn more about Bioheat’s role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the least costly, least disruptive way. There are even UL-listed burners now that work with 100% biodiesel.*
- With Bioheat fuel, we reduce emissions without forcing building owners and consumers to pay tens of thousands of dollars to convert thier heating systems, nor do we increase demand on our fragile electric grid.
- Clean-burning Bioheat fuel can also increase heating equipment efficiency and reduce maintenance costs over time.
- Bioheat fuel is made in the U.S. When you use it to heat your home, you support American farmers, energy producers and sellers.
Learn more about Bioheat fuel at MyBioheat.com.
* B20 and B50 refer to the ratio of biodiesel to ultra-low-sulfur heating oil in the Bioheat blend. B20 Bioheat fuel contains 20 percent biodiesel, and B50 Bioheat fuel is a 50/50 blend.