NY's Power Grid Operator Warns of 'Declining Reliability Margins'

Advocates, top elected officials turn out in force to demand cleaner heat and lower bills.

ALBANY — An annual report by the Independent System Operator, which operates and manages New York’s power grid, warns that the state’s reliability margins are continuing to decline as fossil-fueled power plants are aging and being taken out of service while new sources of energy are not keeping pace with expected increases in demand.

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But many renewable energy advocacy organizations are pushing for New York to remain on track, despite the system operator’s analysis of future demands and available electricity supplies.

Public Power NY, an advocacy organization that pushes for the state to meet the mandates of the 2023 Build Public Renewables Act, is among the groups fighting for the state to stay on track. That legislation called for the New York Power Authority to build 15 gigawatts of public renewables by 2030, and to shut down six fossil fuel plants in New York City, known as “peakers,” which are turned on during periods of high demand, including summer heat waves.

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NY Renews, a progressive coalition of faith, labor, and community groups, wrote a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul in late October imploring her administration to stay the course on the Climate Act mandates, citing fatal extreme weather events as well as environmental pollution they say is causing widespread health problems.

“Not only does the Climate Law commit us to achieve the pollution reductions within the time frame that climate scientists tell us we must meet, but it also ensures that we prioritize equity and justice for those on the front lines of the climate crisis as we transform our entire economy from one powered by fossil fuels to one powered by clean renewable energy.” 

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