Friday, December 22, 2006
Agenda for NY energy State must combine reliable power, conservation and alternative sources
Newsday Editorial
'The real power in New York State is the one that comes through the transmission lines, a fact often ignored by elected officials until the day the juice stops flowing. The 2003 Northeast blackout and this summer's meltdown by Con Edison teach us that energy issues should always be on the front burner, so those powerless days need never arrive.Gov.-elect Eliot Spitzer has a reputation for surrounding himself with talented advisers, and he should exhaustively search for the best ones to develop his energy agenda. The new administration needs a comprehensive plan to ensure that the state has a reliable supply of power, while also advancing progressive measures to increase conservation and lessen dependence on fossil fuels.Supply is always at the top of the list and Spitzer will soon face some challenges, from unsnarling the Islander East pipeline tangle to deciding whether he wants to stare down the strong opposition to a massive liquefied natural gas terminal proposed by the Broad-water Energy Corp. for Long Island Sound. His advisers must also review whether the Long Island Power Authority's proposal to put a wind turbine development off Jones Beach is the most cost-efficient way of providing renewable energy. And Spitzer, an opponent of the Indian Point nuclear plant in Westchester County, will have to ensure there's a way to replace that power supply if it is shut down."
for the rest of this editorial .......... click here............andy
'The real power in New York State is the one that comes through the transmission lines, a fact often ignored by elected officials until the day the juice stops flowing. The 2003 Northeast blackout and this summer's meltdown by Con Edison teach us that energy issues should always be on the front burner, so those powerless days need never arrive.Gov.-elect Eliot Spitzer has a reputation for surrounding himself with talented advisers, and he should exhaustively search for the best ones to develop his energy agenda. The new administration needs a comprehensive plan to ensure that the state has a reliable supply of power, while also advancing progressive measures to increase conservation and lessen dependence on fossil fuels.Supply is always at the top of the list and Spitzer will soon face some challenges, from unsnarling the Islander East pipeline tangle to deciding whether he wants to stare down the strong opposition to a massive liquefied natural gas terminal proposed by the Broad-water Energy Corp. for Long Island Sound. His advisers must also review whether the Long Island Power Authority's proposal to put a wind turbine development off Jones Beach is the most cost-efficient way of providing renewable energy. And Spitzer, an opponent of the Indian Point nuclear plant in Westchester County, will have to ensure there's a way to replace that power supply if it is shut down."
for the rest of this editorial .......... click here............andy
