A new audit from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli calls for stronger action in order to meet the state’s clean energy goals.
The audit found inadequate planning, monitoring and assessment of risks and challenges from the Public Service Commission (PSC), according to a press release.
New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) calls for 70% renewably-sourced electricity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2040.
“New York is moving in the right direction to transition to renewable energy, but we found better planning, monitoring of progress and timely assessment of risks by PSC is needed to achieve our ambitious clean energy goals,” DiNapoli said. “New York has been a leader in its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the threats caused by climate change, and identifying existing and emerging challenges will improve the likelihood that we succeed.”
Auditors found that the PSC, tasked under the Climate Act with establishing and reviewing the state's renewable energy program, sometimes used outdated data and wrong calculations to determine if the state could reach its goals.
The PSC did not update their calculations based on new laws and directives, which may drive clean energy demand and supply up, like electric vehicles, new green buildings, or electric cooling and heating, the press release said.
PSC also did not fully account for other potential risks, including the state needing new technology not yet developed to account for the weather-related intermittency of renewables, as well as expanded transmission capability to get clean energy to consumers, to achieve the 2040 goal of 100% renewable statewide electric generation.
The audit found that the PSC did not develop a back-up plan if the Climate Act’s goals were not met within prescribed time frames, except for the continued reliance on fossil fuels, including peaker plants, which generally operate at a higher monetary and environmental cost.
Auditors identified other factors that could delay achievement of the Climate Act goals, including an increase in severe weather patterns, more renewable electricity demands, a delayed Champlain Hudson Power Express line and potential limitations on the hydroelectric power it is expected to provide, and material availability and supply chain issues.
While the PSC is not solely responsible for ensuring the state is prepared to meet the Climate Act’s goals, it should discuss the potential effects of these issues with the agencies responsible for ensuring a smooth transition, determine the effects of these concerns and include this information in its projections to increase the likelihood of meeting the Climate Act’s goals, the comptroller suggested.
Other areas of concern included project cancellations and delays. As of April 2023, there were 230 large-scale renewable projects awarded contracts within the Climate Act program, and 28 projects were cancelled from 2005 to 2023. Of the remaining 202 projects, only 30% were completed.
On average, it takes five years for a large-scale renewable project to be up and running, something to consider as a 2030 deadline looms, the report said.
The comptroller also cautioned the state to factor in higher costs as renewable energy contracts expire and suggested the need for the PSC to conduct a review of funding commitments and expenditures.
