The New York State Public Service Commission has approved a clean energy standard that requires half of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030.
The phase-in schedule, which is characterized as “aggressive” in the press release, requires 26.31 percent of energy used to be from renewable resources by 2017 and 30.54 percent by 2021. The cost to the average residential user will be less than $2 per month.
The press release says that the standard will reduce greenhouse gases and increase the diversity of the state’s electric fuel sources. The move is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent compared to 1990 levels by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050. Nuclear power is part of the plan.
Several shorter-term energy initiatives are underway in The Empire State.
