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HonorableKathleenBurgess
SecretarytotheNewYorkStatePublicServiceCommission
AgencyBuilding3
EmpireStatePlaza
Albany,NY122231350
DearSecretaryBurgess:
TheCleanEnergyStandard(CES)isamajorstepforwardincombatingclimatechangebyrecognizing
andrewardingzerocarbonattributesofwind,solar,hydropowerandnuclearpowergeneration.
ItistheguidingmechanismtomovetheStateofNewYorkforwardonanaggressivegoalofachieving
50percentofourelectricalpowergenerationfromrenewableenergybytheyear2030.Boththe
goalandtheCESmechanismsforachievingthatgoalhavebeenheldupasamodelforotherStatesto
replicate.
EffortstochallengetheNYSCEShavebeenbroughtforwardbasedontheflawednotionthatthesole
motiveisthepreservationofjobsandtaxrevenues.
Whileover24,800jobs,$3billionannuallyingrossdomesticproductand$144millioninannualtax
revenuesareatriskfromlosingtheupstatenuclearsectorandofsignificantimportance,NewYorks
CESTier3zeroemissionscreditprogramforupstatenuclearavoidsacatastrophicincreaseinCO2
emissionsfromtheNewYorkgenerationsector.
Prematureclosureofthesecriticalcarbonfreefacilitieswillincreasegenerationsectoremissionsby
16,000,000tons;andessentiallywipeouttheentirecarbonreductionprogressrealizedfrom
20002015withintheNYISOrenewableenergymarket.
HigherSO2,NOxandmercuryemissionswillalsoimpacthumanhealthintheabsenceofoperation
fromthe90percentpluscapacityfactorsthatnuclearfacilitiesprovideannually,
ashighercarbonemittinginstatefacilitiesandelectricityimportswouldfillthatimmediatevoid.
ThesocietalpriceofcarbonformulaappliedtotheCESensurestheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency
calculatedperpersoncostisequitablybornbyeachofusintheurgentneedtoreducecarbon
emissionsinameasurablewaytopreventfurtherclimatechangecalamitiesthathavecosthundreds
ofbillionsofdollarstodate,alongwiththousandsoflostlives.
Nomatterhowitisexamined,economicallyorenvironmentally,theCleanEnergyStandardisan
unbiased,costeffective,climatesensitivepolicywithregardstosupportforzerocarbonpower
generation.TheCESwillhaveaprofoundpositiveimpactonboththeenvironmentandtheupstate
economy,andthereshouldbenoretreatonthiscriticalinitiative.
Therefore,thefollowingunionsoftheNewYorkStateAFLCIOstronglysupporttheCESissuedbythe
NYSPSConAugust1,2016.IfwetrulywanttokeepNewYorkseconomyflourishing,whileshifting
towardacleanerenvironment,wemustreaffirmourcommitmenttotheCleanEnergyStandard
establishedbytheNewYorkStatePublicServiceCommission.Wethankyouforyourattentionand
considerationinthismatter.
Sincerely,
MarioCilento,President
NewYorkStateAFLCIO
JamesCahill,President
NYSBuilding&ConstructionTradesCouncil
HenryGarrido,ExecutiveDirector
AFSCMEDC37
KarenMagee,President
NewYorkStateUnitedTeachers
EllenRedmond
InternationalRepresentative,IBEW
DannyDonohue,President
CSEA,AFSCMELocal1000
PaulPecorale,VicePresident
NewYorkStateUnitedTeachers
PeterWard,President
NewYorkHotel&MotelTradesCouncil
PatrickDolan,President
Steamfitters638UA
msa/opeiu153
AnthonySpeelman,President
UFCWLocal1500
WilfredoLarancuent
Laundry,Distribution&FoodServiceJt.Bd.
WorkersUnited