We New Yorkers are a little jaded.
We expect the trains, planes and buses to run, even if they are occasionally late. Somehow, with all its faults we also expect the government to deliver its usual services such as garbage pickup and police protection.
We also expect the lights to go on when we flip the switch, but someday soon, that may not be the case.
The forces that generate energy in this region and around the country are getting old and most of them will not be easily replaced.
It is a proven fact that over 80 percent of the power generating equipment in New York State was built before 1980. Because of cost factors, many of the utility companies, have no intention of building new plants or replacing any obsolete equipment.
Long Island and New York City are able to keep the lights on because a handful of old plants are still working, even though the clock is ticking against them.
If one plant, whether it is in Port Jefferson or Queens shuts down, there is no doubt that the lights will flicker much more often and go off in the middle of a very hot summer.
It is logical to question whether there will be any reliable replacement power should some of those facilities cease to run.
Even though our utility companies say there is nothing to worry about New York needs more reliable energy sources and most of them are a long way from being built.
The Long Island Power Authority is considering the construction of a wind facility in the ocean off of Montauk Point.
It has taken the first steps for the wind power installations to be built, but it is still many years away from operating and the cost is in the billions. It would be a welcome addition if it happens but it doesn’t solve our energy needs for the next ten years.
During hot summers, which will eventually return, some of our power comes from small generators called “peakers,” which were supposed to have been shut down over 20 years ago.
While they still work, there is no guarantee that they will keep working over the next five to ten years. Efforts are being made to build solar farms in Suffolk County, but neighborhood groups have been battling these facilities even though they are clean and reliable.
New York City is going through a major construction boom.
The west side of Manhattan is going through a dramatic change with large high-rise residential and commercial buildings cropping up on almost every block. High-rise towers are being built facing Central Park.
A recent article in Crain’s magazine pointed out that almost all of the condominium buildings ignore their impact on the environment by offering many occupant benefits that use tons of electricity.
Westchester County and the surrounding areas are faced with the planned shutdown of the Indian Point nuclear power plant.
That facility generates 2,000 megawatts of energy each day, which is used to power the subway and hospital system in the city as well as take care of the needs of over a million people north of Manhattan.
Environmental groups claim that there will be more than enough replacement power, but their claims are more like prayers and not factual.
I have spent the last 40-plus years working on energy issues and keep hoping that one day there will be new and guaranteed sources of alternate power that will do away with the need for the old reliable baseload power plants.
Various companies are experimenting with battery storage, heat pumps and other devices, but so far, none of them have become the prime source of future power.
The power needs of this region are not a very sexy issue but when the lights go out the issue will capture your attention.
