Electricity Outlook 2017: Powering New York City's Future
Recommendations
To meet New York City's expected electricity demand over the next decade and address the challenges brought about by the scheduled closure of Indian Point by 2021, all stakeholders – government, utilities, and commercial and residential consumers – have important roles to play. The Building Congress offers the following recommendations and urges immediate action on them.
- New transmission capacity is vitalto assure that New York City has anample supply of electricity throughoutthe next decade. Governor Cuomoshould direct the NYS PSC andNYISO to initiate immediate plansfor transmission investment so thatadequate supply is available whenthe Indian Point nuclear power plantsclose in 2021.
- New pipeline capacity for natural gas with direct connection to New YorkCity and Westchester County will benecessary to provide sufficient gas supplies to meet the expected growth in demand. FERC should promptly approve the recent application for Transco's Northeast Supply Enhancement project. In addition, the State and City should work together to convene a working group of key stakeholders, including utilities and natural gas suppliers, to develop a strategy for the planning and approval of new natural gas pipelines directly into New York City.
- To help achieve the forecast of 726MW in conservation measures by2027, the NYS PSC – working with NYISO, NYSERDA, utilities, and otherkey stakeholders - should develop andapprove regulations to:
- resolve net-metering issues to encourage increased household use of solar PV and other behind-the-meter measures;
- initiate smart metering at the household level to smooth demand for electricity during the daytime and evening peaks; and
- provide adequate incentives for large corporate and building owners to invest in new technologies for controlling energy and electricity demand.
- The NYS PSC and NYISO should payincreased attention to the numberof aging generation plants in NewYork City and develop a plan for theretirement and replacement of them.
- The New York State agencies responsible for the state's energy systemshould investigate new storagetechnologies for large-scale wind andsolar installations as well as the statewide application of new technologies for supergrid transmission systems.
New transmission capacity is vital to assure that New York City has an ample supply of electricity throughout the next decade.
