New Nuclear Power Is Needed to Meet Climate Goals – And Grow A Modern Economy
Randy Wolken, President & CEO
Last week, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York State would convene global experts to discuss the role of next-generation clean energy. It will focus on technologies and strategies to accelerate clean energy development while supporting economic growth in New York.
The “Future Energy Economy Summit,” to be held on September 5th, will convene relevant state agencies and authorities, global and federal leaders, power producers, technical experts, labor groups, environmental groups, business groups, and other interested stakeholders. Two essential agenda items focus on nuclear power, explaining why the Summit will be in Syracuse, near the state’s three remaining nuclear power plants. It is also the home of a massive amount of advanced manufacturing investment on the horizon. I, and other members of the MACNY Team, will be attending. If you can, you should also sign up to attend.
New York State is a leader in clean energy deployment and usage. New York’s 2020 Gross State Product (GSP) ranks ninth compared to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of countries worldwide. And when New York’s 2016 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are compared to emissions from other countries, New York ranks 35th. More importantly, a country’s emissions divided by its GDP is a measure of GHG emission efficiency percentage score. New York ranks third in this category, trailing only Switzerland and Sweden. We are clearly leaders and doing our fair share. Our goal should be to optimize our capacity for both economic growth and cleaner energy. This is the type of leadership the world needs now.
It’s time to reassess our state’s energy policies. The Public Service Commission (PSC) Clean Energy Standard Biennial Review Report found that the 70% renewable energy goal will likely not be achieved until 2033, and without nuclear, maybe not even then. In a recent audit of Climate Act Goals, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office found that the PSC and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) implementation plans did not comprise all essential components, including “assessing risks to meeting goals and projecting costs.” The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) 2023-2042 System & Resource Outlook described issues that threaten the reliability and resilience of the current and future electric system. And the governor herself has acknowledged that the state will “probably” miss its renewable energy goals.
This is especially true given the exciting future of thousands of new advanced manufacturing jobs in the high-tech sectors including microchips, AI, biotechnology, advanced radar systems, and many others. To do this, we need abundant, affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy. And the only way to get there today is to use clean, carbon-free nuclear energy deployed throughout Europe to meet the challenge.
NYSERDA Chair Doreen Harris has readily acknowledged the role nuclear must play in filling the zero-emission generation gap: “At this point, nuclear power is a more mature technology than many alternatives,” [Harris] said. “It is actually a more, I’d say, advanced area of commercial viability, as opposed to some of the other resources that we see on the technical horizon at this point.” Harris added, “NYSERDA plans to develop a roadmap for the potential deployment of new nuclear power, similar to the Offshore Wind Master Plan the authority crafted to guide the development of that resource. NYSERDA plans to gain expert feedback at the Syracuse summit to help prepare a policy for new nuclear power.”
Please join me by attending the Summit. You can also join the efforts of MACNY and The Manufacturers Alliance of New York’s campaign to advocate for the deployment of new nuclear to meet our growing need for accessible, affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy. To act now and share your voice on this important issue, please click here.