New York’s labyrinthine “rate case” process, explained.
Colin Kinniburgh · August 7, 2023
IF YOU LIVE IN New York City, get ready for a big electric bill this month. Behind the spike is a little-known, deeply bureaucratic process: Meet the “rate case.”
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The following passage from the article in italics shows how impractical the environmental groups are.
Utilities argue that upgrading fossil fuel infrastructure is necessary to maintain reliability and even reduce emissions. In its rate case filed in April, for example, National Grid proposed spending an average of $500 million a year on leak-prone pipe replacement, projecting that it would slash emissions by preventing leaks of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Climate groups argue that the aging pipes should simply be removed and replaced with all-electric systems. The underlying problem, for Azulay, is that the state still hasn’t fully reconciled public service law — which governs utilities and gives New Yorkers rights to gas service — with its climate law, leaving the PSC to constantly juggle two competing goals.
The Climate Groups act as though electrifying everything will take a year. They acknowledge that the pipes are leaking but argue to not fix them. I have the exact same email sent directly to me by Howarth at Cornell, the mastermind behind this mess. I saved it because I couldn’t believe that an intelligent person sent such an ignorant email. They have no idea about how long these things will take to complete in the real world. Not fixing those pipes would leave them leaking for years. Further, they will be forced to electrify every building on the leaking service. What if one of the customers doesn’t have the money to do that? What about the lack of labor and materials ? What is someone just replaced their gas furnace within the past couple of years ? If one person on the leaking service doesn’t convert, then the pipes will be leaking until they are deactivated. Additionally, on the system as it is currently structured, air source heat pumps are going to increase emissions.
People say “Follow the Science” until it tells them something that they don’t like.
R. Ellenbogen