September 22, 2008

Welcome to Environmental Advocates of New York’s online newsletter from the State Capital, your source for environmental news. We update you every other week with tidbits and observations carefully gleaned from the halls of the Capitol.

The RGGI is Ready

On Thursday, September 25^th, the governors of the 10 states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) will celebrate the plan’s first auction of carbon dioxide emissions.

It’s a big deal. The RGGI is the nation’s first multi-state cap-and-trade initiative to reduce the power plan pollution that is changing our climate. Originally developed in New York State and shepherded by Governor David Paterson, the RGGI has been guided by more than 10 governors and hundreds of staffers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic for over five years. And while New York is not participating in the September auction, we are on track for the second auction in December and New York companies will be bidding in Thursday’s auction.  

Along with New York, the RGGI states include Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont. The first auction will include six of the 10 states.  

While environmental and energy groups are gearing up for the auction, Environmental Advocates of New York and others are also calling into question claims by power producers that the regional climate plan will drastically increase New Yorkers’ utility bills.

Based on our research and the findings of others, the RGGI will save consumers money on their utility bills in the long run while reducing the pollution that contributes to global warming. And those who say differently are speculating or basing their findings on faulty data and shortsighted analysis.

For a typical New Yorker, the projected increase translates into a retail bill increase of .78 cents. For commercial and industrial customers, the projected retail cost increase ranges from .9 to 1.7 percent in 2015, respectively.

The modest bill impacts and other figures put forth during the multi-year stakeholder process are based on extensive and sophisticated modeling conducted by numerous researchers and agencies, including the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, New York Department of Public Service, and others. Modeling conducted by the Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources, for example, shows that for the entire RGGI region doubling our investment in efficiency would result in recurring utility bill reductions from $66 to $109 per year. In general, these analyses found that economic effects of RGGI are small and positive.

The RGGI was designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Northeast power plants. In addition to the direct cuts associated with the program, auctioning emissions allowances under the RGGI will provide revenue for programs that can further reduce pollution.

In the years ahead, strategic use of RGGI revenues can save New York consumers money by ramping up funding for programs such as the residential New York Energy Smart Loan Fund Program. Participants receive almost $500 in savings annually for 10 years, for a total of up to $4,650 in offset expenses on interest payments. Furthermore, a household would realize up to 40 percent reductions on their home heating and electric bills—savings that continue to accrue every month of every year into the foreseeable future. 

And that’s a lot of green savings coupled with cleaner air for all of us.  

Click here for more RGGI news from the New York Times.

On the Drawing Board: Carbon Capture

As the state drafts a new and very necessary State Energy Plan, there’s been a lot of discussion on the role that carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) might play in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Environmental Advocates of New York holds fast to the position that until the state has exhausted the potential of energy efficiency and clean, renewable power sources to meet our energy needs, new energy generated from coal should be off the table. That being said, the Paterson Administration has made it clear via their endorsement of the experimental Jamestown Oxy-Coal CCS Plant proposal that they wish to explore carbon capture’s potential to meet New York’s future energy needs.  

While we continue to oppose the Jamestown project, Environmental Advocates and others are engaging in an ongoing dialogue with state officials and others on the issue of CCS. We’ll keep you in the loop as this process moves forward and make sure that our priorities—reducing the state’s greenhouse gases and protecting New York’s natural resources—remain front and center in any proposals.   

Save the Date

Join Environmental Advocates of New York in celebrating the state’s conservation heroes at the 2008 Advocates Awards on Tuesday, November 11^th in New York City. Click here for details.
 

Great Lakes Victories Add Up

There’s been a flurry of activity regarding the Great Lakes these past few weeks. Most notably, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact is expected to pass the U.S. House of Representatives as soon as today and then be signed into law by President Bush.
 

This is cause to celebrate—the Compact has been almost 10 years in the making and involved the efforts of eight Great Lakes states, two Canadian Provinces and Congress before it could get to the President’s desk.

The Compact is designed to protect the lakes from wasteful withdrawals and give all of the Basin states a seat at the table when important decisions about water use are made.
 

And last week we let you know that the International Joint Commission was ditching its “Plan 2007” to regulate St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario sea levels. We didn’t think the plan went nearly far enough to restore natural water levels and allow for the restoration of wetlands—nearly half of which have been wiped out since the IJC began regulating water levels in the 1950s. 
 

But that’s not all. The Great Lakes Legacy Act is primed for reauthorization. It was passed by the House late last week. The bill will target federal funding for cleaning up the U.S. share of Great Lakes toxic hot spots, of which there are 31 in total. Five are in New York State. 

We’ll be sure to let you know what’s next on the Great Lakes docket.

Read U.S. Representative Thomas Reynolds’ call to finish up the Compact in the Buffalo News.

New York's Water Woes

Trout Unlimited released a new report last week calling on New York State to protect our water supply and wildlife habitats.

Tapped Out, New York’s Water Woes includes a strong call on the state to bolster water management programs and planning to regulate this irreplaceable resource. The report also warns that growing pressure on New York’s 60,000 miles of streams and rivers for drinking water and sewage treatment is endangering fish habitats.

With the state’s sewage treatment infrastructure in need of an estimated $36 billion in repairs over the next 20 years, much of this water can often go to waste, according to the report.

The report calls on the state to:

• Create a groundwater and surface water permitting statute;

• Develop stream flow standards;

• Make more effective conservation efforts; and

• Foster better coordination between towns and water suppliers.

Click here to read the complete report.

Click here to read a story in the Times Union.

Statewide Energy Tour Coming Soon

As part of Energy Awareness Month, the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), Environmental Advocates and other environmental and civic organizations are organizing a bike tour and events across New York State to raise awareness about the need to take action against global warming. The events will be held between October 17th and the 25th at locations across the state.  At each event, we will hold a news conference and rally calling on federal and state legislative candidates to embrace a “clean energy agenda,” including at least an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, embracing clean energy sources such as wind and solar power, and increasing efforts toward energy efficiency and conservation. Look for Information about an event near you in Environmental Advocates’ next newsletter. If you are part of an organization that would like to endorse the tour, please email cleanenergytour@gmail.com.