Richard Ellenbogen, a Cornell-trained electrical engineer and early adopter of renewable energy technologies, has been a vocal critic of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Ellenbogen argues that while he supports renewable energy, the numbers behind New York’s goal to replace fossil fuels with renewables by 2030 are unrealistic. Drawing from his experience with energy-efficient technologies at his home and business in Westchester County, he believes the state is relying too heavily on wind and solar power without addressing the cost and feasibility of large-scale storage solutions, which are necessary to ensure consistent energy supply.
Ellenbogen points out that New York’s energy plan overlooks practical solutions that could reduce emissions in the short term, instead relying on inefficient older power plants while waiting for wind and solar farms. At his factory, Ellenbogen successfully implemented a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system alongside solar energy, achieving significant carbon and cost reductions. He warns that fully replacing natural gas with renewable energy in densely populated areas like downstate New York would require impractical levels of solar capacity and storage, adding that the state’s current energy policy could lead to significant economic and energy reliability issues in the coming years.
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