New York Energy

off10.06.11 New York Doctors Ask Governor Cuomo to Asses Public Health Impact of Fracking

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Letter Sent to Governor Cuomo

A group of doctors, medical associations, and environmental groups sent a letter to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo asking for a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of high-volume hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, on public health.

Fracking is an alternative method of drilling for natural gas.

Environmental Study Left Out Public Health Impact

New York conducted a study on the environmental impact of fracking, taking into account the possible impact fracking will have on job creation, the character of communities, damage to roads, and wildlife. However, the impact fracking will have on public health was not evaluated.

The group sited in their letter documented cases of the negative health impact of residents living near gas wells and waste pits elsewhere in the country, from exposure to toxic chemicals

Fracking Diagram

which are used for gas exploration and production. Among the health risks the doctors mentioned were problems breathing and the development of asthma.

The letter was signed by over 250 physicians and other anti-drilling groups, including the Catskill Mountainkeeper. The letter stated in part,

“The environmental impacts of gas development include air and water pollution and soil contamination, which are clearly established pathways for health impacts.”

Officials Counter Safeguards in Place

State officials from the environmental department defended themselves by saying that the proposed rules for the development of fracking in New York do take into consideration the health issues experienced in other states. They asserted that strict requirements will be incorporated into the procedures for the employment of fracking which will prevent those health issues from developing in New York.

The Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York, the group that represents the natural gas industry in the state, asserted in a statement that safeguards will be incorporated into the drilling process which will prevent any health problem from developing.

“While some will suggest the hydraulic fracturing process poses a threat to human health, regulations and permit conditions have been and will be in place to prevent pathways to humans and the environment, similar to those in effect for many other industries,” it said.

off09.29.11 New York City Turning Garbage to Power

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The latest scheme coming from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office is to transform the many garbage dumps around New York into solar energy farms.

Solar Energy

PlaNYC for a Greater Greener NYC

The plan is just one more part of the ongoing “Greater, Greener” sustainability plan, an all-encompassing project which at the moment contains 132 initiatives designed to improve the basics of life in New York, from improving air quality by cutting down on oil use to a scheme for loans towards more energy efficiency, and cleaning up and developing “brownfield” sites, which is vacant land which has been neglected due to the fact that the land is in some way polluted or contaminated.

Roofs, Dumps and Landfills to be Used for Energy

These initiatives are all part of PlaNYC, whose ultimate goal is to decrease the greenhouse gas emissions of New York by at least 30% before the year 2030. The city will go partners with private firms and together will build more than 60 megawatts of solar energy on roofs, and to also create large scale solar-heating facilities in former garbage dumps, landfills and other city-land throughout town.

“City landfills can accommodate more than 50 MW of solar power on only a small fraction of available land,” the PlanNYC report states. “Installing solar power at these sites could significantly improve local air quality by reducing generation at the city’s dirtiest plants during periods of peak summer demand.”

Grant Money to Help Things Along

In order to insure that PlaNYC’s deadline of 2015 for the creation of 15 solar PV and solar thermal facilities will be met, there is a $125 million renewable energy management program grant being utilized to meet that goal.

Mayor Bloomberg said,

“PlaNYC is our agenda for a greener, greater New York that will help guide our city to a better future. . . we’ve come an incredibly long way toward our goals, and now, together, we’re finding new ways to accelerate our progress.”

off09.22.11 Offshore Wind Gets Moving with Boost From NY Gov Cuomo

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True to his campaign promises to do more for alternative energy production in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo re-booted the governmental process to expand the offshore wind energy industry in New York.

Joint Project Gets Blowing

Offshore Wind Farms Blowing To New York

On September 15 the Long Island-New York City Offshore Wind Project applied for a lease to set-up and run a wind farm about 13 miles offshore from the Rockaway Peninsula. The project is a joint effort of the New York Power Authority, the Long Island Power Authority and Con Edison.

Tapping the Resource

The Alliance for Clean Energy in New York, ACE NY, applauded the move of Governor Cuomo, stating that New York has a sizable amount of offshore wind resources which should be tapped so New Yorkers can reap the benefits of this economical source of clean energy. It should be noted that all offshore wind projects are required by law to be mindful of protecting the coastal and marine resources, paying heed to the environmental impact the projects incur.

Happy Environmentalists Abound

Reactions to the move are positive. Gordian Raacke, the Executive Director of Renewable Energy Long Island, a non-profit organization in the area, stated that,

“Long Island and New York are blessed with an abundant energy resource right here at our doorsteps, yet we have so far ignored the potential to meet a significant amount of our electricity demand with offshore wind power. New York State needs to accelerate plans for offshore wind farms and today’s application to lease areas for wind energy production is an encouraging sign.”

The executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, Carol Murphy explained that,

“As projects up and down the Atlantic coast come closer to fruition, beginning the federal leasing process in New York is a very important and timely step forward. We commend NYPA, LIPA and Con Edison for continuing their commitment to this initiative and look forward to seeing New Yorkers reap the many economic and environmental benefits of offshore wind power.”

off09.15.11 Happy Hour Coming for Alcoholic Jet Fuels

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Jet Fuels from Alcohol Will Keep Us Flying

Fuel developed from alcohol is not a new concept for automobiles, but work is now being done to create jet fuels from the renewable form of fuel which is derived from crops.

Several companies are now in the midst of developing aviation fuels from such sources as ethanol and/or biobutanol, including Gevo, Cobalt, Terrabon, ZeaChem and LanzaTech.

DARPA Getting Into the Act

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has gotten into the act by beginning to fund projects which are developing renewable jet fuels. Logos Technology, on behalf of DARPA awarded Terrabon $9.6 million over 18 months to create a more economical and more renewable solution for jet fuel production. The project, which began in April of 2011, will develop a customized fuel production process at the Bryan, Texas demonstration facility. The goal will be to be able to produce 6,000 liters of jet fuel using Terrabon’s high-tech bio-refining process known at MixAlco, as a preliminary step for taking this technology commercial.

Terrabon Hot on the Biofuel Trail

“An important focus of this DARPA effort is to produce a sustainable, cost-effective, non-fossil-fuel-based solution to support the military’s jet fuel needs. We thoroughly reviewed many potential processes and solutions for this initiative, and came to the conclusion that this goal can best be achieved with help of Terrabon and their mixed alcohol oligomerization pathway, MixAlco,” said Dr. Greg Poe, CEO, Logos Technologies.

Analysts expect that there will be a fuel spec approved sometime in 2013. So it is not too long in the future when not the only alcohol in the air will be the kind found in those teeny tiny bottles you get on board.

off09.08.11 Virginia Earthquake is Wake Up Call to Nuclear Power Plant Safety

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Preliminary government data has brought to the attention of US nuclear regulators the fact the country’s reactors may be in need of some safety updating.
Based on government data analysis by the Associated Press it appears that the risk that a large earthquake could severely damage a nuclear power plant is much higher than was previously thought.

Powerful Earthquakes Challenge for Nuclear Plant

Norht Anna NPP

August’s unusually powerful eastern seaboard earthquake, the strongest to strike Virginia in 117 years, has shaken regulators out of their comfort zone concerning the ability of US nuclear reactors to withstand earthquakes that may strike in the future. The recent earthquake, for example, seems to have surpassed what the North Anna nuclear power plant northwest of Richmond, Virginia, was built to withstand.

Reactors Need Upgrades

There are 27 central and eastern US nuclear plants which are in the greatest need of upgrades, according to the analysis, because they are much more likely to experience an earthquake more powerful than the ones that they were actually built to sustain.

Industry Says Reactors are Robust

The nuclear industry has stated that the Virginia earthquake has proven that the reactors are safe and strong. The North Anna plant in Mineral, Virginia lost off-site power when the earthquake struck, which caused the reactors to shut down, and then they cooled successfully, and then the four giant diesel generators came to life to supply power. About 24 spent fuel containers also moved a bit from the shaking, but the Dominion Virginia Power Company said that everything was sound.

Richard Zuercher, a spokesman for Dominion which operates the North Anna plant, said that the earlier risk assessment is still correct

“because an additional safety margin was built into the design when the station was built.”

off09.01.11 Governor Cuomo Signs Power NY Act Into Law

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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

In early August this year there was good news for supporters of clean energy alternatives in New York. On August 4th Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, in the presence of groups such as the Alliance for Clean Energy in New York, (ACE NY) and others, signed the bill into law known as the “Power NY Act of 2011.” The bill signing ceremony celebrated the re-instatement of the statewide power plant siting law, called Article X.

Going Green in  New York

Another requirement of the bill is that it creates a recovery mechanism for the “Green Jobs/Green New York” program, plus the bill will compel the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to investigate methods to increase the use of solar power in New York in a viable manner, and release a paper publishing the results of the study.

Carol E. Murphy, the Executive Di4rector of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York praised the new legislation:

“We applaud Governor Cuomo for signing the Power NY Act, which will have a dramatic positive impact on the state’s goal of providing affordable and clean energy, improving our environment, and creating jobs and economic growth through energy policy.”

Providing Strong Environmental Safeguards

“The hallmark of this legislation is its comprehensive, streamlined process for siting new power plants, which at the same time provides strong environmental safeguards and a robust level of input from host communities and other stakeholders,” added Ms. Murphy.  “Such an improved process will ensure that development of new clean energy projects like wind farms moves forward in a timely manner and is ultimately met with success.”

The new law also affects consumers directly by allowing homeowners to repay loans which they obtained in order to finance the improvement of their homes to make them more energy efficient through a savings plan on their utility bills. The hope is that this method of repaying the loan, using money saved on the energy bills, will encourage homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient.

Sending a Clear Message

Senior vice president for market Development at Deepwater Wind, and Chairmen of ACE NY’s Board of Directors, Tim Daniels, had this to say about the ceremony:

“Today’s ceremony sends a clear message to the clean energy industry that this state is genuinely committed to attracting investment and building its renewable energy portfolio. We look forward to working with Governor Cuomo on continuing to bring green jobs in state and solidifying New York’s role as a leader in the nation’s clean energy economy.”

off08.25.11 Brooklyn Bakery Honored for Going Green

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Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? The Brooklyn landmark bakery, Mrs. Maxwell’s on Atlantic Avenue in East New York, has proven that just because you might have been around a long time, it doesn’t mean you can’t still improve.

Borough President Marty Markowitz declared August 9th, 2011 as “Mrs. Maxwell’s Bakery ‘Go Green’ Celebration Day.”

“Mrs. Maxwell’s Bakery has satisfied the sweet tooth of Brooklynites since 1928 in the very same location on Atlantic Avenue and I commend them for taking their long-standing business to the next level by ‘going green’,” Markowitz said. “Con Edison’s program is a win-win, and I hope that Mrs. Maxwell’s successful example will encourage many other small businesses to do the same.”

Sam Naraiswar, vice president and general manager of the bakery, decided to see what he could do to save money and energy at the bakery. Con Edison’s Small Business Direct Install

Con Edison's Small Business Program

Program was able to asses Mrs. Maxwell for energy usage, for free. The survey revealed that there were several things the bakery could do which would help them save money and energy.

The Con Edison program supplied Mrs. Maxwell’s with 71 free CFL lamps and changed another 86 fluorescent lights and lamps. They also installed an additional 14 LED lamps. The program paid for 70% of the cost of the upgrade, leaving the bakery with only 30% of the bill which the bakery paid ‘out-of-pocket.’ As a result of the improvements the bakery now pays

$7,075 less for energy each year. This savings means that the cost of the upgrade was paid for in less than five months.

“We’re thrilled with the results of the program and are honored to receive this proclamation from Borough President Markowitz,” said Naraiswar. “Not only do we now have better lighting in key areas of the bakery, but we’re also saving over $7,000 on our energy costs annually.”

off08.18.11 NYSERDA at the Great New York State Fair

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Come visit the NYSERDA Booth at the upcoming Great New York State Fair and learn new ways to make your home and/or business more energy efficient while at the same time increasing comfort, safety and convenience. The focus of the exhibit, which will be located in the Americraft Center of Progress Building, building number five, booth number 1002, will be on lowering energy costs while simultaneously protecting the environment.

Really Big Fair

The Great New York State Fair is the largest annual event that takes place in New York, and the seventh largest state fair in the United States, with an estimated attendance figure well above one million each year. Last year’s fair was the third largest in all of the 164-year history of the fair, and this year it is expected to reach last year’s level of attendance or even exceed it.

One of the Best

The Los Angeles Times ranked the Great New York State Fair as one of the nation’s best, and it has even been featured as a coveted prize on Television game shows.

Art, Food and More

The emphasis of the Fair is on what’s best in New York, including art, agriculture, commerce, entertainment, education, food and just plain fun. The Fair will be 12 days long this year, from August 25th until September 5th, open each day from 10am until 10pm.
No matter where you live in New York, the Fair is just a short drive away. Conveniently located at the New York State Fairgrounds at 581 State Fair Boulevard in Syracuse, New York, it is worth a visit to this year’s Great New York State Fair. For more information call: 315-487-7711.

off07.28.11 Wind Power Blowing Forward in New York

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Acciona Energy is now making a bid to develop a 76.5-megawatt wind farm, which is projected to create 150 temporary jobs during construction and between 6 and 10 permanent jobs when the farm is up and running.

Clear Economic Benefits for New York

The project manager of the St. Lawrence Wind Farm, Timothy Q. Conboy explained how the project will be good for New York.

“The economic benefits are clear,” Conboy said. “The benefits that have been in other parts of New York will accrue to Cape Vincent, Lyme and Jefferson County if our project goes forward.”

Value Disputed by Committee Report

Acciona created a report describing the far-reaching economic benefits of wind power to the area, with a special emphasis on the benefits this particular project will have to residents of Cape Vincent, Lyme and Jefferson County when the wind farm is completed. The report was distributed earlier this month to officials in the town and school districts and the county. The report is at least in part responding to a report issued by county officials called the Cape Vincent Wind Economic Impact Committee report. The report is available to view on line, its conclusion being that the project will negatively affect the area, including lowering property values and hurting tourism and the school district.

Mr. Conboy defended the benefits of the project in response to the committee’s report.

“We didn’t go through point-by-point and disagree,” Mr. Conboy said. “But there are 14 operating wind farms in New York State and we have specific examples from those projects, which have had a significant, widespread benefit on the host communities. The Cape Vincent report ignored those.”

off07.21.11 New York Poised to Stimulate More Solar Power Use

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Analysts have guessed the New York may have the potential to harness the sun’s rays to produce up to 20%, or more, of its energy needs. But in order to achieve this number in an efficient way, it is necessary to know which rooftops in the city are the most useful for the production of this electricity.

The technology exists to gather such information. The technology is called Light Detection and Ranging. Lidar, as it is known for short, is a laser system which is installed on an airplane which then takes overhead photos of the city and translates them into ‘solar maps.” With the aid of a solar map, a resident can look up his building on-line and discover how good his roof would be as a place to install a solar array. The images obtained give precise information about the shape, angle and size of rooftops, the shading from trees and other structures nearby.

The information can also be used by city planners and utilities to create better energy policies for the city. The maps not only give information about the potential for solar energy production, but also how much solar power is already in production here in New York.

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