Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Lancaster voices opposition to the enactment of the Climate Leadership and Community

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    8,919

    Lancaster voices opposition to the enactment of the Climate Leadership and Community

    Council member Robert Leary is sponsoring a resolution at Monday night’s Town Board meeting expressing opposition to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

    The resolution reads:

    WHEREAS, Governor Hochul supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which aims to generate 70 percent of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 100 percent zero-emission electricity by 2040, and

    WHEREAS, it is commonly recognized that such an urgent timetable to accommodate the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, will severely test and challenge the financial stability of every Lancaster, New York household, and

    WHEREAS, it is widely held that the existing power grid serving Lancaster, New York will become overburdened, and unable to absorb the increased demands that will necessarily attend the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and

    WHEREAS, specifically noting the long-term power losses attending the ice storm of March 2-3, 1976, the Blizzard of 1977, the October Surprise Storm of 2006, the November, 2014 storm, and more recently the December 23-25, 2022, blizzard, the geographic area of Lancaster, New York, historically, has been gravely impacted by such severe weather, and contemporaneously required reliable, alternative sources of energy, and

    WHEREAS, the provisions of Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act will drastically reduce such alternative sources, and

    WHEREAS, it is the very strong position and opinion of the Town of Lancaster's Emergency Medical Services, Fire Department, and Police Department that such energy limitations in times of weather or other civil emergency, will overwhelm their collective capabilities, and therefore, will pose a very substantial threat to the lives and safety of each and every resident of the Town of Lancaster.

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that by virtue of the foregoing, the Town Board of Town of Lancaster expresses to Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature, it’s very strong opposition to the enactment of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

  2. #2
    Member gorja's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Lancaster, NY
    Posts
    13,150
    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Chowaniec View Post
    Council member Robert Leary is sponsoring a resolution at Monday night’s Town Board meeting expressing opposition to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

    The resolution reads:

    WHEREAS, Governor Hochul supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which aims to generate 70 percent of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 100 percent zero-emission electricity by 2040, and

    WHEREAS, it is commonly recognized that such an urgent timetable to accommodate the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, will severely test and challenge the financial stability of every Lancaster, New York household, and

    WHEREAS, it is widely held that the existing power grid serving Lancaster, New York will become overburdened, and unable to absorb the increased demands that will necessarily attend the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and

    WHEREAS, specifically noting the long-term power losses attending the ice storm of March 2-3, 1976, the Blizzard of 1977, the October Surprise Storm of 2006, the November, 2014 storm, and more recently the December 23-25, 2022, blizzard, the geographic area of Lancaster, New York, historically, has been gravely impacted by such severe weather, and contemporaneously required reliable, alternative sources of energy, and

    WHEREAS, the provisions of Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act will drastically reduce such alternative sources, and

    WHEREAS, it is the very strong position and opinion of the Town of Lancaster's Emergency Medical Services, Fire Department, and Police Department that such energy limitations in times of weather or other civil emergency, will overwhelm their collective capabilities, and therefore, will pose a very substantial threat to the lives and safety of each and every resident of the Town of Lancaster.

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that by virtue of the foregoing, the Town Board of Town of Lancaster expresses to Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature, it’s very strong opposition to the enactment of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
    I completely agree with this resolution.

    Georgia L Schlager

  3. #3
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    8,919
    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    I completely agree with this resolution.
    As I or anyone else I speak to in Western New York.

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    8,919
    State energy plan irresponsible

    Regardless that the following report was issued by a fossil fuel company CEO, today’s Buffalo News article has merit for individuals residing in Western New York subjected to harsh, hazardous, life-threatening winters.

    Being from Western New York, Governor Kathy Hochul should know better! Hopefully, the proposed Lancaster resolution will be a wake-up call for other municipalities to take like action.

    National Fuel CEO blasts state energy plan
    Shift from fossil fuels called irresponsible.

    The top executive at the Buffalo Niagara region's largest natural gas utility is calling the state's plan to rapidly move away from climate changing fossil fuels to rely on renewable energy and electricity "incredibly irresponsible" and warning that it could result in much higher energy prices for consumers.
    David Bauer, the president and chief executive officer of National Fuel Gas Co., said Friday that the plan to move the state away from fossil fuels toward electrification, in everything from appliances to commercial buildings, goes too far, too fast.

    Bauer, in remarks during a conference call with stock market analysts and investors, said the plan would require the state to add renewable energy sources – mostly wind and solar power – at an unrealistically rapid rate to meet the soaring demand for electricity and require costly upgrades to the state's electricity transmission system to accommodate it.

    "The scoping plan would have New Yorkers electrify almost everything at any cost," Bauer said. The plan recommends that starting around 2025, newly built single family homes be prohibited from installing equipment powered by fossil fuels, such as natural gas. That would require a newly built home's appliances, such as hot water heaters and furnaces, to run on a zero-emission system such as a heat pump, which is more energy efficient, but costs more than a conventional heating system.

    The plan also recommends that, starting in 2030, homeowners who need to replace existing heating systems and appliances be required to do so with zero-emission systems. Supporters say the plan puts the state at the forefront of efforts to safeguard the environment and slow climate change. The state is aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 40% by 2030, and 85% by 2050. Plans call for regulations stemming from the recommendations to be in place by 2024.

    "Our plan is to make sure that we can protect our environment and there are a lot of smart ways to do that," Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a stop in Dunkirk last month. "There's also a lot of hyperbole and exaggeration around what's being proposed."

    The plan was approved in December by a 19-3 vote, with National Fuel's representative on the state's Climate Action Council voting against it. About 90% of the homes in the Buffalo Niagara region are heated by natural gas, so a shift to electrify appliances and heating would likely cost National Fuel a major part of its current business.

    Bauer expressed doubts about the state's ability to add renewable electricity generation fast enough to meet the soaring demand that would result from the push to electrify. He said the state currently has about 2 gigawatts of wind and solar generating capacity and the plan would require more than 4 gigawatts of wind and solar generation to be installed each year for the next 18 years to meet the plan's targets.

    "Stop and think about it," Bauer said. "It's taken us decades to get to our current 2 gigawatts of capacity, but we'll somehow be able to build double that amount each and every year for the next two decades. While many might consider that incredibly aggressive, the scoping plan sees it as a sure thing."

    Bauer said the soaring demand also would force electric utilities to make massive investments to upgrade the transmission system that brings electricity to homes and businesses – a cost that he warned would lead to higher rates. And he expressed doubt that new generation could be added fast enough to ensure that enough power would be available on a reliable basis.

    The New York Independent System Operator, which manages the state's power grid, has forecast that the climate law's mandate of an emissions-free grid would require the state to triple its electricity generating capacity by 2040.

    "It makes no sense to mandate the electrification of space heating in Western New York when it's uncertain the necessary power and electric infrastructure will be there to meet the increased demand for electricity that will result," he said.

    Instead, Bauer said the state should take a "more reasoned approach" that would first examine whether renewable generation can be added fast enough, while also encouraging customers to invest in improved energy efficiency and better insulation to reduce demand.

    Then, he recommended that the state adopt a hybrid plan to reduce emissions that matches the pace that new generation can be added – a path he said could result in the state achieving85%of the emission reductions contemplated in the council's plan. Full electrification would be required only after the state has developed a cost-effective way to meet all of the demand for electricity, especially during winter when consumption would spike because of the big increase in the use of electric heating systems.

  5. #5
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Buffalo, New York, United States
    Posts
    64,947
    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Chowaniec View Post
    Council member Robert Leary is sponsoring a resolution at Monday night’s Town Board meeting expressing opposition to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

    The resolution reads:

    WHEREAS, Governor Hochul supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which aims to generate 70 percent of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 100 percent zero-emission electricity by 2040, and

    WHEREAS, it is commonly recognized that such an urgent timetable to accommodate the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, will severely test and challenge the financial stability of every Lancaster, New York household, and

    WHEREAS, it is widely held that the existing power grid serving Lancaster, New York will become overburdened, and unable to absorb the increased demands that will necessarily attend the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and

    WHEREAS, specifically noting the long-term power losses attending the ice storm of March 2-3, 1976, the Blizzard of 1977, the October Surprise Storm of 2006, the November, 2014 storm, and more recently the December 23-25, 2022, blizzard, the geographic area of Lancaster, New York, historically, has been gravely impacted by such severe weather, and contemporaneously required reliable, alternative sources of energy, and

    WHEREAS, the provisions of Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act will drastically reduce such alternative sources, and

    WHEREAS, it is the very strong position and opinion of the Town of Lancaster's Emergency Medical Services, Fire Department, and Police Department that such energy limitations in times of weather or other civil emergency, will overwhelm their collective capabilities, and therefore, will pose a very substantial threat to the lives and safety of each and every resident of the Town of Lancaster.

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that by virtue of the foregoing, the Town Board of Town of Lancaster expresses to Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature, it’s very strong opposition to the enactment of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

    So the entire town board is against the 100% electric nonsense or just Council member Robert Leary?

  6. #6
    Member gorja's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Lancaster, NY
    Posts
    13,150
    Quote Originally Posted by WNYresident View Post
    So the entire town board is against the 100% electric nonsense or just Council member Robert Leary?
    Anyone with common sense is against the electric nonsense. Friday, I spent $6,000 on a new gas boiler that will outlive me. So I won't have to get an electric boiler in my lifetime.

    Georgia L Schlager

  7. #7
    Member gorja's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Lancaster, NY
    Posts
    13,150

    Georgia L Schlager

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •