Write a commentToday, in response to recent opposition to the Clean Energy Standard (CES), Ted Skerpon, Chairman of the IBEW Utility Labor Council of New York, issued the following statement:
“Groups that seek to discredit the Clean Energy Standard (CES) aren’t looking at the facts. The CES is groundbreaking and for the first time, ensures that upstate nuclear plants are recognized for their environmental contributions. It also serves as a lifeline to upstate energy plants, Ginna, Nine Mile Point and FitzPatrick, and the communities, which include police stations, schools and businesses, that depend on their continued operation for their livelihood.
The steadfast work of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Public Service Commission (PSC) has saved thousands of jobs for hard working New York families while at the same time, solidifying New York’s position as an environmental leader. The CES garnered a wide range of supportive voices, including environmentalists, who agree that nuclear energy is vital to reaching our environmental goals. The points raised by this group are not new and have been previously heard in the countless public meetings, technical conferences and comments reviewed in the proceeding.
Quite simply, if these facilities go away – energy, capacity and emissions costs will increase. New York State will see 16,000,000 tons of additional GHG nearly a 50% increase over their current level and older natural gas and oil units will be dispatched at higher capacity factors. This would be an environmental, energy, and economic loss for New York State.
So, groups, such as the one seen in Albany today, are clearly missing the key facts. Most importantly, a key finding which indicated the benefits of the CES would far outweigh its cost. They also fail to mention that the power generation technologies that they support will cost well over three times as much as nuclear energy.
Finally, it isn’t surprising these groups are glossing over the facts. After all, these are the same groups that imply incenting cleaner energy production is a tax. The CES is a critical investment in resources like wind, solar, and nuclear, that are vital to protecting our planet from the effects of climate change and not a tax. While these groups pretend to wrap themselves in the blanket of cost control and consumer protection, they fail to discuss the multiples studies that found that the benefits grossly outweigh the costs. They also fail to mention that the power generation technologies that they support will cost well over three times as much as nuclear energy.”
### About IBEW
The IBEW Utility Labor Council of New York represents over 15,000 IBEW Utility Workers in 18 IBEW Local Unions across New York State. They lobby and advocate for laws and regulation that ensures the safety of utility workers across New York State. The Utility Labor Council is a voice for utility workers in government, and they stride to work with New York's elected leadership to find reasonable solutions to New York's energy solvency issue. Understanding that energy technologies are constantly changing, the Utility Labor Council works to train and re-train New York’s utility workforce and create and maintain good jobs. The Utility Labor Council cares about the communities in which they work and live. Learn more: http://www.utilitylaborcouncil.com/
