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@Sammy_Roth wrote an excellent piece last week about how the last crash prompted the fed govt to spend big on clean energy to great effect. https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-04-10/congress-billion-clean-energy-coronavirus-crisis
Here's a related thread about the renewables siting law New York adopted just when covid-19 started to hit hard...
Here's a related thread about the renewables siting law New York adopted just when covid-19 started to hit hard...
That law establishes a new approach to siting renewables (good description here: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/new-york-state-legislature-passes-renewable-energy-siting-law-step-toward-meeting). It’s a very big deal--for energy policy *and* for post-covid economic recovery.
Energy policy first. Renewables take up a lot more land per unit of generation than gas or nuclear power plants. https://www.strata.org/pdf/2017/footprints-full.pdf. But land use is generally subject to local control. Think Parks & Rec with all the earnestness but none of the laughter.
NY law mandates that 70% of electricity come from renewables by 2030; in 2018, NY hit just 26% (including hydro). So, a massive renewables deployment needs to happen fast.
https://www.nyiso.com/documents/20142/6387038/Fig20PT2019.png/e718360c-e70c-1753-271d-fc142510cdef?t=1556744084519
https://www.nyiso.com/documents/20142/6387038/Fig20PT2019.png/e718360c-e70c-1753-271d-fc142510cdef?t=1556744084519
Article 10, NY’s old siting law, wasn’t drafted for renewables, speed, or getting to yes with landowners/localities. And the agency charged w/ implementing Art 10 processed applications from developers & appeals from opponents—it didn’t do much outreach. https://nylcvef.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/renewable-siting-whitepaper.pdf
So siting reform was needed if NY is to hit its energy policy targets.
But it also means something for the economic crater created by covid-19. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus-economic-crash-2008-financial-crisis-worse/
But it also means something for the economic crater created by covid-19. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus-economic-crash-2008-financial-crisis-worse/
The big challenge of economic recovery is turning public $$$ into sustained economic activity. “Shovel ready projects” was the 2008-crash shorthand for this...
So, New York wanted speedy renewables siting for one reason; now covid-19 provides another that’s no less compelling. Is the siting law a covid-recession-recovery measure? Whether it was thought of that way when someone initially wrote it down, it sure is now.
