by David Kooris, Associate Planner for Regional Design, RPA
Events in Queens over the past two weeks have vividly shown that we depend on electricity. The lives of the many thousands of families and businesses that were left without power were put on hold, unable to function productively without electricity. While this has been the case for at least a century, it's one of those things that is true now more than ever.
Just in my short lifetime, (I'm 26), the number of energy-sucking appliances and gadgets has multiplied many times. I don't remember televisions in every room when I was growing up, or computers and all the accessories that are now considered a necessity. On a busy night in the apartment I share with my girlfriend it's hard to find a plug amidst the cell phones and iPods charging up for the coming day. And I don't consider myself particularly gadget rich. Then there is air conditioning, which has gone from being an occasional luxury, available in a few select places, like one room of a house or a movie theater, to a basic right.
You might say these are all rewards of the modern age, but there's a big catch. While we have basically been giving a giant collective "yes" to things that use more electricity, we have been giving a giant collective "no" to finding, developing and implementing new sources of electricity.
It's true that I'm personally glad to see a movement away from fossil fuel power generation plants. They contribute to climate change, pollute our air, and force us to rely on unstable and often hostile nations. The Clean Air Act has necessitated that most recently constructed power plants are able to burn Natural Gas, the lightest hydrocarbon. But the Northeast is situated at the end of every pipeline that delivers natural gas from dwindling domestic and Canadian supplies and import facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. As we saw during the aftermath of Katrina, being at the end of the pipeline is a potentially risky situation. Yet many people find it equally risky to locate a Liquid Natural Gas import facility in Long Island Sound, which would provide a more reliable source of the cleanest of the fossil fuels.
The energy has to come from somewhere. As for other energy sources, nuclear power plants continue to generate intense opposition, for perhaps understandable reasons. But nuclear power uses no conventional fuel and contributes almost nothing to global warming. It should at least be examined with a neutral eye. It also pains me to see Wind Farms being fought so aggressively along the coasts of the Northeast, often by sincere "environmentalists." I've also read about homeowners associations denying residents the right to put solar panels on their roofs because they violate aesthetic guidelines.
Not only do the power plants face intense NIMBY opposition, but transmission lines and sub-stations are also incredibly difficult to site. One company wants to build a series of power lines along the Delaware Valley, bringing electricity from small scale hydro dams in upstate New York to customers downstate and in northern New Jersey. Predictably, this too has faced intense opposition. Our new electric age has costs, but apparently costs that none of us are willing to bear.
Managing the region's energy future requires us to manage both demand and supply. The first and arguably easiest step is simple conservation. This can be done on a personal level by shutting off the light when you leave the room or turning off various devices when not in use. Planting trees and installing green roofs can reduce the urban heat island effect and the need for air conditioning. Buy Energy Star appliances when replacing old ones. If you want more sustainable energy, vote with your money and buy wind power at www.newwindenergy.com. This service and others allow you to pay a small premium to your current utility to get them to buy wind or small scale hydropower from around the nation. Or come out in support of local Wind Farm proposals and demand more projects like Con Ed's tidal generation test project in the East River.
On a collective level, we could explore remedies like allowing or encouraging utilities to use more "peak pricing," where consumers are charged more during times of intense demand, like very hot days. This would have the effect of reducing demand, as well as strain on the overall system. There are numerous other methods that could be used, some doubtless not invented yet.
Now is the time to devise an energy plan for our region. The most recent energy bill gave the Federal government power to override municipalities and states in order to site critical energy infrastructure. If we're not willing to make the difficult decisions on how to manage our energy future, the Feds will do it for us.
Events in Queens over the past two weeks have vividly shown that we depend on electricity. The lives of the many thousands of families and businesses that were left without power were put on hold, unable to function productively without electricity. While this has been the case for at least a century, it's one of those things that is true now more than ever.
Just in my short lifetime, (I'm 26), the number of energy-sucking appliances and gadgets has multiplied many times. I don't remember televisions in every room when I was growing up, or computers and all the accessories that are now considered a necessity. On a busy night in the apartment I share with my girlfriend it's hard to find a plug amidst the cell phones and iPods charging up for the coming day. And I don't consider myself particularly gadget rich. Then there is air conditioning, which has gone from being an occasional luxury, available in a few select places, like one room of a house or a movie theater, to a basic right.
You might say these are all rewards of the modern age, but there's a big catch. While we have basically been giving a giant collective "yes" to things that use more electricity, we have been giving a giant collective "no" to finding, developing and implementing new sources of electricity.
It's true that I'm personally glad to see a movement away from fossil fuel power generation plants. They contribute to climate change, pollute our air, and force us to rely on unstable and often hostile nations. The Clean Air Act has necessitated that most recently constructed power plants are able to burn Natural Gas, the lightest hydrocarbon. But the Northeast is situated at the end of every pipeline that delivers natural gas from dwindling domestic and Canadian supplies and import facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. As we saw during the aftermath of Katrina, being at the end of the pipeline is a potentially risky situation. Yet many people find it equally risky to locate a Liquid Natural Gas import facility in Long Island Sound, which would provide a more reliable source of the cleanest of the fossil fuels.
The energy has to come from somewhere. As for other energy sources, nuclear power plants continue to generate intense opposition, for perhaps understandable reasons. But nuclear power uses no conventional fuel and contributes almost nothing to global warming. It should at least be examined with a neutral eye. It also pains me to see Wind Farms being fought so aggressively along the coasts of the Northeast, often by sincere "environmentalists." I've also read about homeowners associations denying residents the right to put solar panels on their roofs because they violate aesthetic guidelines.
Not only do the power plants face intense NIMBY opposition, but transmission lines and sub-stations are also incredibly difficult to site. One company wants to build a series of power lines along the Delaware Valley, bringing electricity from small scale hydro dams in upstate New York to customers downstate and in northern New Jersey. Predictably, this too has faced intense opposition. Our new electric age has costs, but apparently costs that none of us are willing to bear.
Managing the region's energy future requires us to manage both demand and supply. The first and arguably easiest step is simple conservation. This can be done on a personal level by shutting off the light when you leave the room or turning off various devices when not in use. Planting trees and installing green roofs can reduce the urban heat island effect and the need for air conditioning. Buy Energy Star appliances when replacing old ones. If you want more sustainable energy, vote with your money and buy wind power at www.newwindenergy.com. This service and others allow you to pay a small premium to your current utility to get them to buy wind or small scale hydropower from around the nation. Or come out in support of local Wind Farm proposals and demand more projects like Con Ed's tidal generation test project in the East River.
On a collective level, we could explore remedies like allowing or encouraging utilities to use more "peak pricing," where consumers are charged more during times of intense demand, like very hot days. This would have the effect of reducing demand, as well as strain on the overall system. There are numerous other methods that could be used, some doubtless not invented yet.
Now is the time to devise an energy plan for our region. The most recent energy bill gave the Federal government power to override municipalities and states in order to site critical energy infrastructure. If we're not willing to make the difficult decisions on how to manage our energy future, the Feds will do it for us.
@RegionalPlan