New York Passes Ambitious RPS Target

New York's Public Service Commission has voted to enact an ambitious renewables portfolio standard as reported here (SolarAccess.com)(9/23/04). The new goal of 25 percent, however, will be met mostly through non-hydro renewables like wind power, solar, and fuel cells. The article continues:

"The development and use of more renewable energy resources has been a long-standing policy objective of New York State, and Governor Pataki strengthened that commitment when he proposed the 25 percent goal in his 2003 State of the State address," Commission Chairman William M. Flynn said. "The policy we are adopting today balances a wide range of interests. Not only will it help us meet our growing demand for electricity, but it also will provide additional benefits by increasing fuel diversity for our state's generation portfolio, reducing our exposure to fossil fuel price spikes and supply interruptions, increasing economic development activity from a growing renewable energy industry, and improving our environment.

Still, several important policy decisions remain including:

determining what types of facilities should be eligible for participation in the RPS Program, choosing an appropriate procurement structure, and identifying issues that must be addressed during the RPS implementation phase. Other key policy decisions include establishing two tiers of eligible resources, recognizing the importance of the state's existing green marketing program by relying on it to provide at least one percent of the renewable sales necessary to meet the overall 25 percent goal, and committing to a review of the RPS in 2009.