ALBANY, NY — The New York State Energy Planning Board has announced the release of its 2002 State Energy Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement, which is designed to provide statewide policy guidance for energy-related decisions by government and private market participants within the state for the next four years.

“The Planning Board is most proud of the fact that our process was the most open and extensive in the country, and the result shows it,” stated William M. Flynn, chairman of the Energy Planning Board.

To meet the plan’s objectives, a number of recommendations and long-range planning strategies are included that are designed to ensure that New York’s energy needs are met by encouraging competition while ensuring fairness, and that the need for new energy supplies and investments in energy infrastructure are balanced with the need to protect the environment and public health.

Some of the major policy strategies and recommendations include:

Add 5,000 to 7,000 MW of additional electricity supply and demand reductions to meet New York’s energy needs in the early years of the planning period.

Add new natural gas pipeline capacity to meet the growing demand for all sectors of the economy.

Set an energy efficiency goal to reduce primary energy use to 25% below the 1990 level (per gross state product) by 2010.

Establish a renewable energy goal of increasing its share of use by 50% by 2020.

Perform a joint security study of the state’s energy infrastructure by the board and the Office of Public Security.

Institute a goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions 5% below 1990 levels by 2010, and 10% below 1990 by 2020.

Reauthorize Article X, relating to the siting of new electric generating facilities.

Continue efforts to establish a regional electricity market.

Publication date: 08/12/2002