Time’s Up! Analysis of Cuomo’s Energy Plan and alternative, sustainable plan for the future

Based on Cuomo’s various public statements, as well as private meetings that have ben relayed to Time’s Up, his energy plan for New York State is clear:

• He wants to end the moratorium on hydrofracturing for natural gas in New York State
• He wants to decommission Indian Point when the licenses for its two reactors expire in 2014 and 2016
• He wants to replace the energy created by Indian Point with three natural gas burning plants

However, this plan is not possible, it will legalize the devastating practice of hydrofracturing in New York State, build three gas-burning plants that will pollute NYC, cost ConEd consumers $2-$3 billion, create a net loss in jobs, and it will not shut down Indian Point.

Investing the money it will take to build the three gas-burning plants in renewable sources of energy is not only the right thing to do for the health of New Yorkers and the environment, but it is a wiser economic investment:

Cuomo’s Plan Won’t Work:

1. Replacing Indian Point with gas-burning plants will cost $6b, plus $370m per year in fuel:

• Indian Point creates 2k MW of electricityⁱⁱⁱ
• It would cost $2b to decommission Indian Pointⁱⁱⁱ
• Construction costs for 2k MW of gas-burning plants would be $4b^iv
• The cost of gas for 2k MW of energy is $370m per year^v

2. The gas-burning plants will not be done by 2014 or 2016, so the leases will be renewed for Indian Point and it will continue to be used:

• It takes a minimum of four years to build a gas-burning plant^vi, and likely far longer in NYC
• Nuclear energy (excluding construction and decommission costs) is cheaper than energy from gas-powered plants, so ConEd will continue buying it instead of energy from the gas-plants^vii

The alternative, sustainable plan is clear and feasible:

1. It will be cheaper to replace the energy created by Indian Point with Off-Shore Wind

• The current cost of a 1k MW wind farm is 1.7b^viii
• Prices are decreasing 38% every four years^ix
• The feasibility studies have already been done to connect off-shore wind to NYC^x
• Producing this off-shore wind with the diminished cost over the next 15 years will allow more than 4k MW worth of off-shore wind to be created, more than enough to account for the fact that renewables cannot be ramped-up during peak energy use

2. This plan will shut down Indian Point faster

• As the off-shore wind power comes on-line, ConEd will buy energy from the off-shore wind because energy from off-shore wind is less expensive than nuclear energy^xi

3. This plan will save New Yorkers money, reduce unhealthy emissions, and create jobs:

• The early decommission of Indian Point will cost ConEd customers $2-3b^xii
• Replacing Indian Point with gas plants will increase NOx in our air^xiii
• Renewable sources of energy create far more jobs than fossil-fuel plants^xiv

Please join Time’s Up in demanding that New York State invest in renewable energy instead of fossil-fuels. Spread these numbers far and wide, and join the movements to stop hydrofracturing, shut down Indian Point, and build renewable alternatives NOW!

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