During the week of August 8, two reports came out with good news for opponents of repowering Danskammer – and bad news for all of us if the project is allowed to proceed with plans to provide baseload electricity by burning natural gas or, later, hydrogen. Based on new studies, neither of these methods will meet New York’s climate goals or help salvage our civilization in the face of accelerating climate change. Neither are they likely be profitable, meaning that once again ratepayers could get stuck with the bill.
First, Standard & Poor released a report stating that “a review of markets with strong renewable mandates and carbon emissions pricing indicates much of the U.S. fleet of recently built natural gas generation could come under pressure…. Market Intelligence estimates that $34 billion in coal plant investment and another $34 billion in new gas plant construction could be at risk.”
Second, an August 12 NYT article, headlined “For Many, Hydrogen Is the Fuel of the Future. New Research Raises Doubts,” reported on a new study showing that so-called “blue” hydrogen (hydrogen produced using natural gas with carbon capture and storage) would actually produce more greenhouse gases than burning fracked gas by itself.
There are plenty of other reasons to oppose the repowering plan, including the extreme environmental damage to which the people of Newburgh have already been subjected through PFOS contamination. The new projections should convince the Public Service Commission, which has the final say on the project and is expected to rule soon, that the project is neither fair nor reasonable. The owners of the Danskammer plant – NYC-based Tiger Funds – would do well to head them as well.
Susan H. Gillespie
President of the Board, Citizens for Local Power