2011: The Year of the "Green Job"

[Dan Moadus]

I get so sick of hearing the term "greenhouse gases". You would think that with all the de-bunking of this global warming thing; excuse me, "climate change" thing, people would start to giggle whenever someone says "greenhouse gas". Here is the latest global warming claim to be de-bunked:  http://hotair.com/archives/2010/11/12/another-agw-argument-bites-the-er-dust/  Will these people ever give up?

[irishbobcat]

At a recent energy conference, New York Power Authority President Richard M. Kessel cited the importance of clean-energy development and transmission upgrades for ensuring a reliable electric power system and creating new construction and manufacturing jobs in New York state.

"We ought to dedicate ourselves to making 2011 the year of the 'green' job," Mr. Kessel said, referring to the significant economic development benefits of renewable energy technologies for creating jobs and contributing to the state's manufacturing base.   

"The addition of new wind and solar power installations and transmission upgrades to replace aging infrastructure with facilities that use 'smart grid' technologies are among the necessary strategies for reliably meeting electricity demand in New York in the coming decades," Mr. Kessel said, according to a news release from the power authority. "These are hallmarks of Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo's 'Power NY' energy plan, which will provide great benefits for New York state. In addition to diversifying energy supplies and combating greenhouse gas emissions, clean energy makes great sense from an economic development perspective since investment in new labor-intensive energy technologies has the potential for creating thousands of jobs at hundreds of businesses interested in fabricating parts and components."

The power authority's chief executive spoke as a panelist and luncheon speaker at the Advanced Energy 2010 Conference at the New York Hilton in New York City, where he and other energy leaders highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts by businesses, government and academia to further energy research and commercialize new technologies. The New York Power Authority is the nation's largest state public power organization.

The Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook, whose mission is to promote innovative energy research, education and technology deployment, produced the Nov. 8-9 conference, marking the fourth year the event has been held. The power authority is one of the sponsors and also has provided key financial support for the energy center, whose focus includes energy efficiency, renewable energy and nanotechnology applications.

Mr. Kessel said the New York Power Authority expects to select proposals from renewable energy developers by early next year for a statewide 100-megawatt power project that would triple the current amount of installed photovoltaic capacity in the state. It also expects to select from proposals next year for an offshore wind project of up to 500 megawatts in the Great Lakes for the possible development of the nation's first freshwater wind farm.

The statewide public power utility generates nearly 80 percent of its electricity from nonpolluting hydropower. It also has invested heavily in energy efficiency initiatives at public facilities throughout the state, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 800,000 tons a year, while providing annual savings on utility bills of approximately $125 million.

This year, NYPA has financed approximately $145 million in improvements, working closely with various energy efficiency contractors, including New York companies. It expects to invest more than $1 billion over the next several years in such efforts in support of New York's "45 by 15" Plan for 45 percent of the state's electricity needs to be met from improved energy efficiency and renewable energy by the year 2015.   

Mr. Kessel also noted at the Advanced Energy Conference that NYPA has been exploring the potential for improving the capability and flexibility of the state's transmission system to deliver lower cost hydropower from Canada and upstate wind power.

"We have a Thruway but not an 'electric thruway.' We need to break up transmission congestion points to secure a clean-energy future. Some of New York state's transmission lines are 50 to 60 years old and need to be replaced. Investment in new energy infrastructure is crucial for meeting the power needs of a 21st-century economy," he said.

"Energy, the environment and economic development – what I call the 'three Es' – are all intertwined," Mr. Kessel added. In citing the power authority's progress toward furthering the development of new clean-energy supplies, he also noted the emphasis that the statewide public power utility has given to utilizing its renewable low-cost hydropower for creating new jobs, including those in high-tech and 'green' energy industries.

"We need to utilize lower-cost energy resources to create jobs, especially in regions upstate that have suffered the most economically, and that's what we're doing with our clean hydropower," Mr. Kessel said.