Meeting Demand

The Capitol transcribed parts of the energy panel Senator Gianaris participated in earlier this month.

All the pieces are in place to develop a sustainable and efficient energy supply in New York State except one: leadership.

That was the consensus from a panel of experts, advocates and government officials who said New York has the capacity to grow its wind, solar and natural-gas energy production, while also conserving more power and improving the electric grid—as long as there’s a plan for doing so.

The six panelists spoke at an event this month moderated by John Gilbert, chief operating officer of Rudin Management, and sponsored by The Capitol, Baruch College, New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (NY AREA) and McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP.

What follows is an edited transcript.

The Capitol: What should New York State do to boost its energy policy?

Sen. Michael Gianaris of Queens: The most important thing we can do is develop a plan to come up with the proper fuel mix in the long term. We’re always going to need a mix, and the question we have to answer is: What is the right balance? What is the right balance of all of the various fuel sources? What is the right way to use them responsibly and in as safe a way as possible?

Read the full article here.