Every morning millions of New Yorkers flick on their lights but are unaware that the energy powering their homes and offices comes overwhelmingly — as much as 90% — from burning fossil fuels.
Those smokestacks are not in a faraway land, but are in the heart of New York City, and in backyards of families whose kids live under a cloud of heavily polluted air.
The undeniable ravages of climate change are relentlessly worsening, and we need bold action to reverse this damage. Thankfully, New York State has embraced an aggressive goal to transition New York to a clean energy future where 70% of our power will come from reliable, renewable power by 2030. This commitment to the future has created significant allies throughout our State and beyond. Labor organizations, environmental groups, elected leaders and an Indigenous Leader have formed a true partnership to advance the transition away from fossil fuels. Our goal is to create a more sustainable economy, green jobs, cleaner air and water and healthier neighborhoods.
Recently, the state of New York announced two projects which are critical to meeting this goal are on track and have entered a public comment period. As representatives of groups that don’t always agree — we think it is important to work together to identify the benefits for New York.
The Champlain Hudson Power Express is a thoroughly vetted project that won a competitive state process because it will deliver 1,250 megawatts of clean hydropower to New York City to power more than 1 million homes by 2025 — replacing more than half of the energy from the now offline Indian Point nuclear plant.
The CHPE will deliver constant, renewable hydropower that will replace fossil fuel-burning sources and therefore cut carbon emissions and local air pollutants across our state. The project is a perfect complement to wind and solar power sources, which are also essential to a greener economy.
This project alone will remove the emissions equivalent of half a million cars from the streets in New York. This is good for our planet, and ensures cleaner air, and millions in health benefits which means less asthma, fewer doctor visits and healthier New Yorkers.
CHPE will also benefit New Yorkers by creating more than 1,400 good-paying jobs, with a commitment to union labor. This figure doesn’t include benefits from the $1.4 billion dollars in tax revenues that will benefit communities along the line — money that will go to local schools and services throughout New York. This clean energy project also sets aside $40 million for a Green Economy Fund that will provide job training to help provide workers new skills that boost their economic opportunities, particularly in underserved communities.
Too often in the past, infrastructure projects have been imposed on communities whose concerns were not listened to, including Indigenous communities. This project represents a turning point, where not only have such concerns been listened to, but the Mohawk Council of Kahnawàke in Canada is actually a partner in this transmission project that will be located on its traditional territory. That partnership will bring real benefits to the community. Throughout New York, outreach has been ongoing in communities that will host the line for over a decade and will continue until the project is in the ground.
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The 375-mile clean energy line is fully-buried and out of sight, and the technology is designed to minimize its environmental footprint — utilizing a proven and tested approach that has been deployed worldwide in similar projects. New York will benefit from the project’s commitment to cleaner water through its $117 million Environmental Trust, which will be administered by the Hudson River Foundation. We have confidence in the trust’s board — which includes New York state and city officials, as well as representatives from Riverkeeper, Trout Unlimited and Scenic Hudson — who will direct investments in environmental protection and restoration projects for the Hudson River, Harlem River, and Lake Champlain.
This is New York’s energy future: replacing pollution with clean air, protecting our water, creating jobs and economic benefits throughout New York, battling climate change and delivering reliable, renewable energy to New York. Support this project and maybe when you turn on the lights, you can know it is good for the environment and our economy.
Donovan Richards is borough president of Queens.
Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer is Kahnawake Mohawk Grand Chief.
Adrienne Esposito is with Citizen’s Campaign for the Environment.
Marina O’Donnell is with Operating Engineers.
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