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Renewable Energy? You’re already paying for it
From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle November 12th, 2005 “State and Local” section page 5B

State already collecting money from us to build windmills, dams and such.

MICHAEL HILL - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ALBANY — Electric bills in New York have been boosted a few cents a month to help spur construction of windmills and other "green energy" genera­tors. The monthly charge — which runs from 5 to 15 cents — debuted in October as part of a state policy to increase New York's reliance on renewable en­ergy to 25 percent by 2013. The amount of the charge varies by utility. Long Island Power Au­thority customers are not being assessed the charge because the authority is not participating in the program, officials said.

State Public Service Commis­sion spokesman David Flanagan said the charge is expected to bring in $24 million in its first year and will help make it more attractive for developers to build wind farms, hydropower dams and similar projects in New York. "It helps get renewable energy projects built on the ground," he said.

Opposition forms

Some such projects have al­ready run into opposition.

Rochester-area billionaire Tom Golisano is leading the charge against a state-backed plan to add wind turbines in New York, including in the Fin­ger Lakes region. Golisano, who owns a home on Canandaigua Lake, has helped set up the "Save Upstate New York" cam­paign to oppose the power gen­erators, which can be as tall as high-rise office towers. A project proposed in Springwater, Livingston County, also fueled a public outcry this past spring.

State regulators adopted the policy in September 2004 after Gov. George Pataki called for a quarter of New York's energy to come from renewable sources. New York already receives about 19 percent of its electricity from renewable sources — the lion's share from the New York Power Authority's hydro pro­jects at Niagara Falls and on the St. Lawrence River.

The money will go toward an incentive program run by the New York State Energy and Re­search Development Authority. The authority is already in­volved in seven wind and hydro projects, including a 230 mega­watt wind farm on the Tug Hill Plateau scheduled to start going online in January. The charge will be subject to yearly review and can be raised or lowered based on progress to­ward hitting yearly targets. Flanagan said it is being added to the existing "system benefits charge" on utility bills.

Under the commission policy, 24 percent of the electricity en­tering New York's wholesale market is to come from renew­able sources and retail mar­keters of green energy are ex­pected to provide at least an­other 1 percent.

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