For NY Climate Smart Communities: In 2019, Let’s Work Toward the“50 by 30” Goal!
Two years ago, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo set the goal that New York would generate half of its electricity from renewables by 2030. The mandate had a catchy tagline: “50 by 30.”
It was an ambitious announcement, one that had (and still has) the critics doubting the execution, especially after the state’s last goal to have 30 percent renewable energy by 2015 failed.
However, the climate smart communities in NY should not let their past experiences get in the way of shaping a greener, cleaner and energy independent future. Instead, they should learn from it, and resolutely work toward the “50 by 30” goal and do everything in their capacity to prove the doubters wrong. Many policy issues have been addresses and it is time to ACT.
If you haven’t already initiated plans for energy independence at your local municipality level, you can do so starting from this very year—2019!
The Challenge at Hand
Currently, the state of New York draws 45% of its electricity from non-renewable energy resources such as natural gas, oil and coal; 30% of its electricity from nuclear fuel, and 25% of its electricity from renewable energy resources.
That means, to achieve the “50 by 30” goal, the state must almost double its renewable energy production in the next 12 years. Quantitatively speaking, it must produce an additional 29,200 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy.
This is without a doubt a big challenge. However, with the increasing affordability of solar and wind power technologies improvements in processes, and thanks to funding programs organized by the state government, it can certainly be overcome.
More to It Than Meets the Eye
While transitioning to clean energy has obvious environmental benefit, it also has massive economic potential. This must be kept in consideration when evaluating the “complete” benefits of seeking energy independence at community level. Stanford researcher Mark Z Jacobson, and UC-Davis researcher Mark A. Delucchi, talks about the economic impact of shifting to renewable energy in great detail here.
So, are you willing to work toward the “50 by 30” goal?
Larsen Engineers can help you!
We’re energy engineering and infrastructure experts, specializing in the design and deployment of solar panel installation projects.
In 2018, our company set up six community solar projects (1 to 2 MW each) at different locations in the state of New York. We are trusted service providers and have over six decades of experience in the field.
Get in touch with us today to discuss your energy independence needs.
