New York’s power must be clean and reliable

New York’s energy system is at a turning point. Energy consumption is increasing – but due to climate change temperatures and frequency of storms. Unfortunately, generators are slow to meet the growing demand for clean energy needed to combat climate change, and some are now questioning the reliability of the power system. But I’m here to say that New York doesn’t have to sacrifice reliability to address climate change. We can have both.

As we approach the official start of summer on Thursday and a dangerous heatwave looming this week, let’s make one thing clear: New York City has enough power to get through the summer of 2024. These conclusions were determined by the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), which manages the system New York’s power grid to provide enough electricity on the hottest and coldest days of the year.

Last month, NYISO released a report showing that as of summer 2024, New York has nearly 20% more generating capacity (40,733 MW) than the highest single-day peak demand in the state’s history (33,956 MW, which occurred in 2013). .

However, the NYISO report also found that the buffer between New York’s peak energy use and power generation capacity will tighten over the coming decade, compromising reliability. This trend is a concern for those of us responsible for keeping the lights on and the air conditioners running, and is a clear call for faster action to build more renewable energy sources and a more reliable system.

Con Edison is currently investing more than $2 billion in infrastructure projects to ensure the grid can meet increased energy demand as buildings and vehicles shift away from fossil fuels and toward electrification. These investments deliver value to every customer, ensuring reliability as we all face more extreme weather, such as heatwaves and more hurricanes resulting from climate change.

Con Edison is improving its electric supply system to provide more clean energy from solar panels, wind turbines, hydro and other renewable resources to support New York State’s climate goals. The company is investing in energy efficiency programs, new substations, renewable energy transmission lines, incentives for electric vehicle chargers and other measures to usher in a clean energy future.

The good news is that the NYISO report also showed that the state is moving in the right direction, even if slower than we would like. Last year, New York added 452 MW of clean energy resources to the grid. We’ll need that number 1000 in the future, but it’s a good start.

Opponents of New York’s clean energy plans would argue that to ensure reliability, we must go back and embrace burning fossil fuels. This is a head-scratching conclusion. As noted by NYISO, the generation buffer is currently sufficient and the state will bring more clean generation online, including more hydropower from Canada in 2026. Con Edison’s first obligation to our customers is to ensure they have the power they need. they need it when they need it, and we take that responsibility seriously.

But we also know that the best long-term option for the country is to address climate change head-on through smart investments that mitigate future climate change while adapting to current realities.

New York must build more clean energy sources to enable the retirement of polluting peaker plants. We also need to invest in research and development to spur new technologies that will help deliver electricity around the clock.

We need to accelerate investment in clean energy on the grid to ensure an orderly transition away from fossil fuel power generation.

As fossil fuel production retires and demand for electricity increases, we face legitimate reliability challenges. We must do more and more to solve these problems, and we cannot withdraw current resources until new ones become available.

Policymakers, utilities and stakeholders must work together to find solutions to address these challenges.

Taking action to keep our energy systems – and our communities – clean and reliable in the face of this change. Adding (fossil) fuel to the fire of climate change has the opposite effect.

Ketschke is president of the Con Edison Company of New York.