For Joe Biden to successfully carry out his green energy plan, he will need every Democrat state on board.
However, that will be a challenge after New York backed out of a major wind farm project.
For Biden's energy plan to work, he will need every Democrat-run state to push this agenda because there will be significant pushback from red states.
The reality of green energy today is that without serious help from the state and federal government, the companies developing green energy cannot exist.
To that point, offshore wind developers had come to the New York State Public Service Commission (NYSPSC), the state's primary regulator that oversees electric, gas, and water utilities, to renegotiate terms.
These terms would have included billions in taxpayer funds to help facilitate four offshore wind projects and 86 onshore wind projects.
The proposal was rejected. Commission Chair Rory Christian stated:
"The requested amendments to the contracts would have provided adjustments outside the competitive procurement process; such relief is fundamentally inconsistent with long-standing Commission policy.
"The Commission has repeatedly stated that competition in the procurement process is necessary to protect ratepayers and provides the soundest approach to mobilize the industry to achieve our critical State goals dependably and cost-effectively, and we do so again through today's action."
Changing the terms of the deal would have resulted in close to a 7% increase for residential customers and more than 10% for commercial and industrial customers.
Alliance for Clean Energy New York Inc. (ACE NY) was very disappointed in the decision.
ACE NY Executive Director Anne Reynolds stated:
"The renewable energy industry is deeply disappointed with the Commission's unfortunate ruling denying relief for renewable energy projects dealing with unprecedented inflation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The decision is shortsighted. We were hoping the Commission would act strategically on behalf of ratepayers and the environment; instead, their decision will result in increased costs and greenhouse gas emissions."
New York Offshore Wind Alliance Director Fred Zalcman added:
"Today's PSC decision denying relief to the portfolio of contracted offshore wind projects puts these projects in serious jeopardy and deals a potentially fatal blow to the progress these projects have made to localize clean energy manufacturing, reinvigorate New York's ports and harbors, train and deploy New York's skilled union workers, and revitalize environmental justice communities."
American Clean Power Association CEO Jason Grumet also chimed in, stating:
"With one shortsighted decision, the NYSPSC has thrown New York's environmental and clean energy future into peril. Absent a robust offshore wind industry, it will not be possible for New York State to achieve its climate or environmental justice goals."
I have always supported renewable energy, but I believe it needs to be used in conjunction with fossil fuels, not taking the place of fossil fuels.
If politicians would stop drawing a line in the sand on both sides of the aisle, we could develop an amazing energy program that would offer the best of both worlds, but that will never happen in today's political environment.
Not to mention all the money that gets thrown around to both sides of the aisle for their respective energy supporters.
Do you want to fix this issue? Stop the lobbying industry altogether… just end it.
Today's politicians are out to serve the people who fill their war chests, not the American people, and as long as we have Super PACs and lobbyists, the American people will be far down on the list of what concerns members of Congress.
We can have both, and these energy companies, I am sure, would be more than happy to work with each other, but politicians have pitted them against each other, so it will be a constant war until we fix our very broken political system.
