Only after Superstorm Sandy slammed Long Island did the governor finally take a serious look at the Long Island Power Authority in search of a solution to its longtime problems. … [More]

The state’s Public Service Commission is holding a hearing today on part of a $811 million contingency plan submitted by Con Edison and the New York Power Authority for the potential closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plant – and defenders of the plant, who say the plan is being rushed through, are incensed. “This is like a forced cost on Con Ed and NYPA ratepayers, and NYPA ratepayers are all over the state,” said Jerry Kremer, the chairman of… [More]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made it clear that he wants to privatize the Long Island Power Authority, saying in his State of the State address that it should be sold off and repeating this week that privatization makes the most sense of any possible course of action. But with Long Island lawmakers and residents worried that selling LIPA to a private company would make their already high electricity bills even more costly, administration officials have been careful to say that privatization is… [More]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo yesterday announced a new “energy czar” position in New York, then promptly introduced Richard Kauffman as just the man for the job. “There’s an opportunity to have New York State be a model in many ways, including in energy,” Kauffman said following Cuomo’s State of the State address. A long-time New York resident, Kauffman will finish his work for the federal Department of Energy, where he works in clean energy financing, deployment and market development, and by… [More]

Jill C. Anderson Age: 31 Chief of Staff to the President and CEO, New York Power Authority Jill Anderson always had a knack for science, though she also served as the editor of her high school newspaper and competed on the speech and debate teams. In her role now as chief of staff to NYPA’s president, she still uses both her scientific side and her writing and communication skills. In college she had narrowed her focus to engineering, viewing it… [More]

Lawmakers scale back their solar expectations, and hope for a Cuomo boost State lawmakers and renewable-energy advocates are trying to let a little more sunshine into the state’s energy portfolio. To do so, they’re scaling back and simplifying a stalled solar bill and attempting to link it to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recently launched solar-power initiative. The hope is that the new strategy will allay concerns about costs associated with more solar investment, garner enough support to get legislation passed this… [More]

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for the development of an “energy highway” earlier this year, he likened the idea to an Interstate Highway system with transmission “expressways” carrying ample power from Canada and western New York to New York City. But as the Cuomo administration kicked off the initiative yesterday, officials left the door open for a more modest effort that might be better compared to repaving an old highway. “We want to consider everything,” said Gil Quiniones, the president… [More]

THE PLAYERS THE STATE Gov. Andrew Cuomo jump-started the state’s energy policy with last year’s renewal of the Article X law for siting new power plants, and now he’s pushing for a transmission superhighway that could make it easier to meet his longtime goal of shutting down Indian Point. The governor’s behind-the-scenes energy brain trust includes Tom Congdon, an assistant energy secretary, policy adviser Jim Malatras and Bob Hallman, a newly hired deputy secretary for the environment. Department of Environmental… [More]

GEORGE MAZIARZ Senate Energy Committee Chairman Q: What are your thoughts on the new NYSERDA solar study, which called for a “continued investment in the steady and measured growth and deployment” of solar photovoltaic panels? GM: After a cursory review of it, I was a little bit surprised. They weren’t commenting on the positives or negatives of it, but clearly they’re saying that it could have a very negative impact on rates. I think we need to be careful going… [More]

Repowering power plants garners broad support, but financing remains elusive NRG Energy is ready to tear down its power plant in Astoria and build a new one that’s cleaner, more efficient and more productive. “It’s the equivalent of taking an old diesel-powered truck and replacing it with a Prius,” said Jonathan Baylor, NRG’s New York development manager. And NRG isn’t the only one that supports the installation of far more efficient technology at the site of the natural gas-fired plant.… [More]