The opportunity for sending public comments to the New York Public Service Commission continues until April 18. Following the public comment period, the PSC may rubber stamp the RAPID Act (Renewable Action Through Project Interconnection and Deployment Act) — the latest attempt to accelerate the installation of Wind, Solar, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Western New York. The current politically driven state energy policy threatens our quality of life and is worth commenting on.

“The RAPID Act streamlines the process while protecting local input and the environment,” said the state Public Service Commission.

The assertion that New York’s energy policy is “protecting the environment” is false.

The installation of “renewables” is destroying the environment in Western New York and will continue to do so until it is scrapped.

The materials — lithium, cobalt, copper, neodymium, graphite, silica, rare earth metals, etc. — are mined using slave labor, refined while polluting immense quantities of water. The manufacturing of components, the component transportation from around the world, and their installation — all use fossil fuel. Wind, solar, and battery energy storage facilities are not green, not clean nor are they zero, as the emissions created far away are never calculated.

The justification for “renewables” is based on the yet to be proven assertion that carbon dioxide is a problem.

The faulty energy policy of New York is based on a lie that does not recognise the facts: carbon dioxide does not accumulate, rather it circulates into the atmosphere, the oceans, and the plants. Plants can only prosper when there is a lot of carbon dioxide. Plants use CO2 for food to produce the wood and potatoes and apples — every fruit and vegetable. CO2 makes up 0.04% of the atmosphere — a vital trace element. So how can a state energy policy be based on the false idea that carbon dioxide is a problem?

The waste and destruction in Chautauqua County alone by solar and wind is unacceptable. It continues to destroy hundreds of acres of forests, wetlands, agricultural land, recreational land – jeopardizing the livelihoods of all farmers and especially the Amish. Ag land is five times more costly than ten years ago due to competition with solar and wind.

Western New York has adequate electricity from Niagara hydro-power and clean natural gas. Modernizing the power lines to prevent the loss of approximately 25% of power produced would save as much as can be produced by solar or wind without destroying the beauty of land known as Chautauqua.

The RAPID Act and Office of Renewable Energy Siting should be dismantled and a rational energy production system must replace it using more hydro, dual cycle gas and advanced nuclear power — all of which are nearly emission free but do not destroy forests, wetlands, farmland, and waterways. A common sense energy policy would cost far less, be far less materials intensive and have a far greater power density. This would ensure that the Energy Returned on the Energy Invested (EROI) would be positive rather than negative.

Public comment period ends April 18. Email Case 24-M-0433 comment form or mail their comments to the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission, Empire State Plaza, P-1 South, J Dock, Albany, NY 12242, and reference Case 24-M-0433.

Karen Engstrom is a Mayville resident.