To The Editor,

After the New York State Public Service Commission agreed to a request by the Village Board of Trustees  to hold a public hearing in Westchester on the proposed NYS Clean Energy Standard,  I attended the hearing on June 16 along with Trustee Brian Pugh and submitted the following statement for their consideration. Given the air quality alerts that we in Westchester are getting this summer, I believe it is very timely.

 

Dear Secretary Burgess,

 

I am one of the Trustees from the Village of Croton on Hudson who wrote to the PSC asking for the additional hearing on the Clean Energy Standard to be held in Westchester.  I appreciate the opportunity that you have provided our residents to learn about the CES and provide feedback to the Commission.

 

I am in total agreement with New York’s effort to reach a goal of 30% renewable energy by 2050. 

 

I am certainly not an expert on the ways in which this can be achieved.  However I understand that some areas of the state are, no doubt, in a better position to move in this direction due to energy prices and the availability of land or water resources to support renewable power projects.

 

Westchester is one of these areas which, has many waterways, some developable land and many rooftops, which could host renewable power systems.

 

Westchester County, which pays electric rates well above the state average and a growing population, has a serious need for new, clean affordable energy sources.

 

Most importantly, Westchester has serious environmental issues.  The American Lung Association has consistently given our region an F-grade in air quality.  The Department of Environmental Conservation has also made similar findings.

 

Therefore, I ask you to consider using the Clean Energy Standard in such a way as to prioritize projects, in environmentally burdened areas such as Westchester, which NYS deems would be helpful in achieving the state’s air quality improvement goals.

 

Sincerely,

Ann Gallelli