White Plains, NY – In a landmark agreement that sets a new precedent for utility collaboration with environmental justice advocates, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the PEAK Coalition have announced a joint initiative to explore the transition of NYPA’s natural gas ‘peaker’ plants to cleaner energy technologies. This significant move, unveiled on October 13, 2020, marks a crucial step towards achieving New York State’s ambitious climate goals and addressing environmental inequities in urban communities.
The agreement, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), will see NYPA working alongside the PEAK Coalition, a consortium of five leading environmental justice and clean energy organizations. Together, they will assess the feasibility of replacing NYPA’s seven peaker plants – six in New York City and one on Long Island – with battery storage and other low to zero carbon emission resources. These plants, totaling 461 megawatts in capacity, are critical for meeting peak electricity demands in the city and ensuring grid reliability, but they also contribute to air pollution in neighboring communities.
NYPA’s Low-Carbon Resources Initiative is exploring innovative technologies to accelerate the transition to a carbon emission-free economy.
Pioneering a Cleaner Energy Future
This groundbreaking agreement underscores NYPA’s commitment to leading the clean energy transition, aligning with Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s ambitious Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. This legislation mandates zero-carbon emission electricity across New York State by 2040, setting one of the most aggressive clean energy targets in the nation.
“NYPA is taking a proactive stance in transitioning our power plants towards clean technologies, directly supporting Governor Cuomo’s climate leadership goals,” stated Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO. “We are committed to being at the forefront of clean energy innovation, paving the way for a healthier environment for all New Yorkers in collaboration with our partners and fellow utilities.”
The MOU outlines two key commitments:
- Collaborative Exploration: NYPA will work hand-in-hand with environmental justice groups to investigate cleaner energy alternatives for its entire fleet of peaker plants in New York City. This unprecedented collaboration marks the first time a utility in the United States has formally agreed to such a partnership.
- Independent Expertise: NYPA will support consultants who will work alongside the Authority and also independently assist the PEAK Coalition. These experts will be tasked with developing viable clean energy replacement options, ensuring a robust and equitable transition process.
Natural gas peaker plants, while ensuring grid reliability, are targeted for clean energy transition to reduce emissions and improve air quality.
Addressing Environmental Justice Concerns
NYPA’s peaker plants, established in 2001, are utilized intermittently, operating approximately 10% of the time or less during peak electricity demand periods, as directed by the New York Independent System Operator and Con Edison Company of New York. While essential for local grid reliability and resilience, transitioning these plants to modern, cleaner technologies is crucial to significantly reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants. This transition promises to deliver improved air quality, particularly in the environmental justice communities that are disproportionately affected by the plants’ operations.
Eddie Bautista, Executive Director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, emphasized the urgency of this collaboration: “This partnership will thoroughly assess the technologies needed to transition peaker plants towards low or zero carbon emissions. Pollution from power plants within the city can worsen respiratory illnesses like asthma, which has been recently linked to more severe outcomes for COVID-19 patients. The PEAK Coalition is delighted to collaborate with NYPA in making a clean energy future tangible.”
Elizabeth Yeampierre, Executive Director of UPROSE, further highlighted the timeliness of this initiative: “There is no better moment to tackle pollution and inequities within NYC’s energy infrastructure. The historical exposure to high air pollution, including from power plants, has contributed to the disproportionately high COVID-19 death rates in environmental justice communities. This collaboration serves as a model for the innovative and timely actions required to redirect investments away from infrastructure that harms community health.”
Dariella Rodriguez, Director of Community Development at The Point CDC, added, “The negative impacts of built environments and infrastructure on New Yorkers, particularly in EJ communities, are now undeniable. This agreement is a necessary stride towards realizing the CLCPA’s objectives and achieving equitable living conditions for our most vulnerable populations.”
Justin Wood, Director of Organizing and Strategic Research at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, contrasted NYPA’s initiative with the actions of private power companies: “While private power companies are unfortunately attempting to increase their reliance on polluting and costly fossil fuel technologies, despite the escalating climate crisis, it is truly encouraging to witness New York State’s public power authority moving towards renewable energy and creating green jobs in the environmental justice communities that urgently need them.”
Lewis Milford, president of Clean Energy Group, a national nonprofit and advisor to the PEAK coalition, framed the agreement as a national model: “In an era of racial reckoning and increasing harm from climate change to vulnerable populations, this New York agreement is a responsible blueprint that should be adopted in other communities with peaker plants. It demonstrates how plant owners can respect environmental justice concerns and pursue a collaborative path towards a clean energy transition in heavily polluted urban areas.”
NYPA is collaborating with Zinc8 Energy Solutions to advance zinc-air energy storage technology, a key component of future clean energy systems.
NYPA’s Broader Clean Energy Initiatives
This agreement is part of NYPA’s broader commitment to spearheading the adoption of low to zero carbon emission resources and technologies. NYPA is actively exploring the potential of both short- and long-duration battery storage solutions and driving a comprehensive transformation towards a clean energy economy.
In addition to this peaker plant initiative, NYPA is engaged in several other key clean energy projects:
- Low-Carbon Resources Initiative (LCRI): A five-year project in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Gas Technology Institute (GTI) to accelerate the development and deployment of low-carbon energy technologies.
- Energy Storage Innovation: Partnering with Zinc8 Energy Solutions, Inc. to develop and test a zinc-air energy storage system.
- Lithium-ion Battery Storage Demonstration: Testing cutting-edge lithium-ion battery storage technology at NYPA’s headquarters through a demonstration project with Cadenza Innovation.
- Large-Scale Battery Storage Projects: Developing a 20 MW energy battery storage project in Northern New York.
- Advocacy for Renewables: Championing offshore wind and solar projects in southeast New York.
- Grid Modernization: Supporting initiatives to modernize the electric grid for enhanced efficiency and reliability.
- Distributed Energy Resources: Investigating pathways to integrate more clean distributed energy sources into the energy mix.
Through these diverse efforts, NYPA is solidifying its role as a national leader in clean, renewable energy. With over 80% of its generated electricity already coming from clean, renewable hydropower, NYPA is uniquely positioned to drive New York State towards its ambitious zero-carbon future. By embracing innovation and collaboration, NYPA is ensuring a cleaner environment, creating well-paying clean energy jobs, and building a reliable, resilient, and affordable state-of-the-art energy system for all New Yorkers.
About NYPA:
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is the largest state public power organization in the nation, committed to providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy. Founded in 1931 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, NYPA operates 16 generating facilities and over 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. NYPA is self-funded, operating without taxpayer money and financing its operations through bond sales and revenues from electricity sales.
About the PEAK Coalition:
The PEAK Coalition is comprised of UPROSE, THE POINT CDC, New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA), New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), and Clean Energy Group (CEG). This coalition is dedicated to eliminating pollution from power plants impacting climate-vulnerable communities in New York City. They advocate for replacing peaker plants with localized renewable energy and storage solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy costs, and enhance grid resilience. Their report, Dirty Energy, Big Money, details the necessity of replacing New York City’s peaker plants with battery storage and renewable technologies.
