Write a commentTo the Editor: Assembly Barclay once again rings the alarm bell by not sharing the whole story.
The idea that New York is racing toward an unavoidable energy disaster is not just exaggerated, it’s misleading. It takes real concerns about grid reliability and turns them into a political message that leaves out important context, key facts, and what NYISO has actually said.
NYISO has never claimed that electrification is unsafe or unworkable. What it has said, over and over, is that New York needs to build new clean power sources and transmission lines faster. That’s a planning challenge, not a sign that the grid is doomed. Suggesting otherwise misrepresents their position.
Barclay’s focus on one day of high electricity prices is another example of cherry‑picking. Yes, prices spiked briefly, but that happened because of swings in natural gas prices, old fossil fuel plants, and weather‑driven demand. It wasn’t caused by the state’s climate law. Blaming electrification for a gas‑driven price spike is like blaming your thermostat when the furnace breaks.
And the claim that New York is “nowhere near ready” for electrification simply isn’t true. The state is already building offshore wind, battery storage, new transmission lines, and modern grid controls, none of which the article mentions. NYISO’s own reports show that as long as new resources are added on schedule, the grid will stay reliable. That’s the opposite of an impending collapse.
The idea that natural gas is the only way to keep the lights on is also wrong. NYISO has called for dispatchable resources, meaning power that can be turned on when needed, but not specifically fossil fuels. Advanced nuclear, long‑duration storage, green hydrogen, and other zero‑emission options are all part of New York’s plan. The article oversimplifies a complex engineering issue into a “more gas or we freeze” story that doesn’t match the facts.
Barclay needs to be reminded that, if anything, the real danger comes from delaying clean energy projects. Every year of slow progress keeps New Yorkers tied to unstable fossil fuel markets. These are the same markets that caused the price spike his article complains about.
New York doesn’t need fear‑based arguments. It needs urgency, investment, and honest discussion about the solutions already in motion. Issues the Assemblyman ignores completely. Reliability and clean energy aren’t competing goals; they depend on each other. The state can meet its climate goals and keep the grid stable. Mr. Barclay needs to stop pretending the only option is sticking with the past.
Paul McKinney, Phoenix
