Before I moved to Astoria, a neighborhood in northern Queens, NY, I knew a couple of things: rents were cheap and Greek restaurants were abundant. What I didn’t know about my new home was that some of my closest neighbors would be power plants – lots of power plants. Steam turbines that date back to the 1950’s hum alongside state-of-the-art natural gas plants that were completed just four years ago. Collectively the power plants located in the northern reaches of Astoria, sometimes referred to as Ditmars-Steinway, generate half of New York City’s power needs. If you’re a power plant enthusiast, this is your mecca.
If you live in Ditmars-Steinway, however, you spend your days in a neighborhood that has earned the nickname “Asthma Alle ... Read Full Article»
Last week the New York Power Authority, the nation’s largest state-owned public power organization, released its first-ever Sustainability Action Plan. The plan, Generating Sustainability, will guide the agency in implementing energy saving and environmental initiatives. As NYPA president and CEO Richard Kessel explains, the plan “formalizes the sustainability practices already underway and, most importantly, provides guidance on accomplishing even more in the future.”
Generating Sustainability also highlights past accomplishments. For instance, in 2006 NYPA’s White Plains office building received
FREEING THE GRID 2009 Edition: Best and Worst Practices in State Net Metering Policies and Interconnection Standards
This edition of the report finds that, although net metering and interconnection policies still vary widely, states have made significant strides in adopting the best practices that drive renewable energy market growth and job creation.
