A new report found New York State needs a more equitable grid transmission process.
The Energy Justice Law and Poverty Center report noted investments in front-line communities are not being identified or prioritized, which goes against the state’s climate laws. It also showed a severe lack of transparency in upgrading grid transmission infrastructure.
Raya Salter, executive director of the center, said the current process reinforces long-standing inequities which the state’s climate law accounts for.
“The CLCPA (Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act) acknowledged there have been historic and unfair disinvestments in communities of color and low-income communities when it comes to our energy systems,” Salter pointed out. “There have been a disproportionate number of impacts on those same communities due to pollution.”
Minority communities face high impacts from peaker plants and other polluting energy infrastructure. However, New York is phasing out high nitrogen oxide-emitting peaker plants by year’s end.
Some ways to make the process more equitable include tracking impacts utility investments have on environmental justice communities and ensuring the state’s Public Service Commission accounts for equity and justice impacts.
Implementing the recommendations could be challenging, but Salter feels there are few alternatives. If nothing is done, she believes a utility company’s multibillion dollar investments will not do as much to improve health outcomes for communities harmed by energy infrastructure pollution. Salter noted one challenge is the transmission process’ lack of transparency.
“The utilities are kind of being asked for themselves how much investment they should be making, and we need to make sure the light is shined as brightly as possible on what these investments will be and how they will be made,” Salter urged. “Another challenge is that many reports have shown New York State is behind on our clean energy mandate.”
The primary reasons New York fell behind on its climate goals range from lacking political will from state lawmakers to pandemic-related inflation on construction costs derailing some offshore wind projects.
Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications.