Energy Experts Discuss Northeastern Energy at National Grid

Norris McDonald, Martin Cook, Carolyn Green, Frank Stewart
The American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) and the Alliance of Black Professionals (ABP)
held an energy forum today at National Grid in Brooklyn, New York with the theme:

“Future of Northeast Energy – What is on the Horizon?”

Panelists included:

Lisa Crutchfield, National Grid

Martin Cook, National Grid

Carolyn Green, National Chair of AABE

Frank Stewart, National President of AABE

Moderator: Norris McDonald, President Center for Environment, Commerce & Energy, African American Environmentalist Association

The forum was held in the Metrotech Auditorium and covered a broad array of electricity, energy and environmental issues facing the Northeast. Some questions considered included: Is there adequate electrical capacity to satisfy the needs of Northeastern states in the next few years? Will energy prices negatively affect the Northeast? How could pending carbon dioxide regulations affect the Northeast? What about the influence of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) on a project 'low-carbon' future? Do you know of any policies that are being put into place to address energy efficiency and alternative technology marketing techniques? How are companies and organizations looking to address the "green divide" to make sure minority communities in the Northeast region are not being left behind? Many other questions were addressed during the forum.

Photo: Stephanie George. Renee McClure, Martin Cook, Norris McDonald, Jose Garcia (kneeling), Carolyn Green, Frank Stewart, Bill Suggs, Akil Friday

New York City Law Review Hosts EJ Discussion

The New York City Law Review is sponsoring a panel discussion on environmental justice issues in New York City, "Whose Survival? Environmental Justice as a Civil Rights Issue, " on Thursday, February 18, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Auditorium, CUNY School of Law65-21 Main Street, Flushing, NY 11367

Featuring:

*Majora Carter – President, Majora Carter Group
*David Palmer – Interim Executive Director, Center for Working Families
*Miranda Massie – Senior Staff Attorney, N.Y. Lawyers for the Public Interest, Environmental Justice section
*Elizabeth Yeampierre – Executive Director, United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park

This panel will highlight how the purpose of the environmental justice movement is to combat “environmental racism,” a term used to refer to a multitude of racial and economic injustices wrought upon impoverished communities through the inequitable distribution of environmental burdens. The panel will trace the emergence and development of key issues in the environmental justice movement in New York City, including brownfield redevelopment, school siting and contaminants, air quality, and inequitable distribution of open space.

Panelists will address the role of communities and activists, as well as lawyers and policymakers in identifying and advocating against environmental injustices; the nature of interaction between these roles and the remedies each effects; and how such advocacy dovetails with community-building, local economic development, and the "green" revolution. This panel will be moderated by Professor Carmen Huertas-Noble, Director of the Community and Economic Development Clinic at the law school. Additionally, the CUNY Green Coalition will be hosting a 'wine and cheese' (local wines and organic snacks) reception following the panel to continue the discussion that the panel begins, where they will also be accepting donations for the BLSA-Green Coalition inaugural summer environmental law fellowship.

Attendance is free, but please RSVP for the panel discussion to.

The New York City Law Review is CUNY Law School’s student-run publication that seeks to publish the best of legal scholarship from all points of view on various legal topics within the broad framework of the Law School’s mission statement, “Law in the Service of Human Needs.”

More information about Law Review

Directions

Governor Paterson Releases Final NY State Energy Plan

The 2009 New York State Energy Plan (Plan or Energy Plan) sets forth a vision for a robust and innovative clean energy economy that will stimulate investment, create jobs and meet the energy needs of residents and businesses over its 10-year planning horizon. To that end, the Plan provides the framework within which the State will try to meet its future energy needs in a cost-effective and sustainable manner, establishes policy objectives to guide State agencies and authorities as they address energyrelated issues and sets forth strategies and recommendations to achieve these objectives.

The Plan‘s strategies and recommendations have been designed to meet five policy objectives:

 Assure that New York has reliable energy and transportation systems;

 Support energy and transportation systems that enable the State to significantly reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both to do the State‘s part in responding to the dangers posed
by climate change and to position the State to compete in a national and global carbonconstrained economy;

 Address affordability concerns of residents and businesses caused by rising energy bills, and
improve the State‘s economic competitiveness;

 Reduce health and environmental risks associated with the production and use of energy across all sectors; and

 Improve the State‘s energy independence and fuel diversity by developing in-state energy supply resources.

Five strategies are outlined in the Plan, which simultaneously achieve these multiple policy objectives. The strategies are: (1) produce, deliver and use energy more efficiently; (2) support development of instate energy supplies; (3) invest in energy and transportation infrastructure; (4) stimulate innovation in a clean energy economy; and (5) engage others in achieving the State‘s policy objectives.

AAEA-NY on Harlem World Radio - The Danny Tisdale Show

Harlem World Radio's The Danny Tisdale Show talks about the latest information on life, style, and business in Harlem. Danny's show also covers the latest hot topics of the week with surprise guests and experts.

AAEA is appearing on The Danny Tisdale Show today and the interview will be broadcast during it regulair air time. Also appearing are New York environmental activist Samara Swanston and Craig Wilson of the Safe Healthy Affordable Reliable Energy (SHARE).

The Danny Tisdale Show airs the second Thursday of every month at 6:30 pm.

Large Wind Project Proposed Offshore

The New York City Offshore Wind Collaborative (OWC), a group of utilities and government agencies, is requesting proposals next year from developers for a 350-megawatt wind farm near the Rockaway Peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean 13 miles from Queens. It is estimated that the project could cost more than $1 billion and involve more than 100 turbines. The OWC wants developers to finance the project and recoup their costs selling power to nearby utilities, beginning in 2015.

AAEA-NY supports the project. (WSJ, 12/9/09)

AAEA-NY Climate/Energy/Air Forum A Big Success

Frank Stewart, Amber Sisson Norris McDonald, Samara Swanston, Craig Wilson

The African American Environmentalist Association New York Office hosted a forum on "Air Quality and Electricity: Why It Matters To You," on Friday, October 30, 2009 at the City University of New York Graduate Center Segal Theatre. The theater was filled with students from the New York High School for Environmental Studies, members of the American Association of Blacks in Energy New York Chapter, representatives from the New York City Council and others.

Panelists included Amber Sisson-New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (NYAREA), Samara Swanston-environmentalist, Frank Stewart-President, American Association of Blacks in Energy and Craig Wilson-Safe Healthy Affordable Reliable Energy (SHARE). The forum was moderated by AAEA President Norris McDonald.

The forum covered numerous topics that were discussed by panelists and audience members. The issues included energy and air pollution in New York, green jobs, the Waxman/Markey and Boxer/Kerry climate change bills, New York Governor David A. Paterson's New Preliminary State Energy Plan, technical aspects of energy production and more. An issues brief produced by AAEA and NYAREA, "New York State and the Waxman-Markey Bill," was distributed at the forum.

Excellent box lunches were also provided to the participants.

The forum was coordinated by Urbanomics Consulting Group (UCG).

Official First Family Photograph

The Obamas in the Green Room, Sept. 1, 2009, with Sasha, second from left, and Malia, right. (Annie Leibovitz for the White House)

DEC & DEP Holding Hearings on Marcellus Shale

AAEA opposes drilling in the New York City watershed to produce natural gas from the underground Marcellus Shale layer. AAEA believes this activity could threaen New York City's drinking water supply and it simply is not worth the risk.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is currently drafting regulations to govern natural gas drilling in New York.

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has scheduled four public hearings on the draft supplemental generic environmental impact statement (DSGEIS) for gas drilling in New York.

- Wednesday, Oct. 28, Sullivan County Community College, E Building, Seelig Theater, 112 College Rd., Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759.

- Tuesday, Nov. 10, Stuyvesant High School, High School Auditorium, 345 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10282.

- Thursday, Nov. 12, Chenango Valley High School, High School Auditorium, 221 Chenango Bridge Rd., Chenango Bridge, NY 13901.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Corning East High School Auditorium, 201 Cantigny St., Corning. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
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The NYC Council’s Environmental Protection Committee will be holding a hearing on gas drilling at 10 am Friday, October 23rd in the Committee Room at City Hall. The Council is considering a resolution calling for a ban on drilling within the NYC Watershed and other important environmental areas.

Marcellus Shale Natural Gas

AAEA opposes drilling in the New York City watershed to produce natural gas from the underground Marcellus Shale layer. AAEA believes this activity could threaen New York City's drinking water supply and it simply is not worth the risk.

AAEA-NY wants regulators to amend current state rules to bar drilling in the New York City watershed: a million acres of forests and farmlands whose streams supply the reservoirs that send drinking water to eight million people. Accidental leaks could threaten public health and require a filtration system the city can ill afford. State officials worry that if they deny landowners the right to lease the mineral resources under their property — 70 percent of the watershed is privately owned — they will face expensive “takings” claims. But the state has a right and responsibility to prevent drilling that poses a clear danger to public health.

Marcellus Shale is a subterranean layer of rock curving northward from West Virginia through Ohio and Pennsylvania to New York’s southern tier. The shale contains deposits of natural gas that could add to the region’s energy supplies. The process of extracting it, however, is not risk-free. Known as hydraulic fracturing, it involves shooting a mix of water, sand and chemicals — many of them highly toxic — into the ground at very high pressure to break down the rock formations and free the gas. The technique is used in 90 percent of the oil and gas operations in the United States. And while most drilling occurs without incident, “fracking” has been implicated in hundreds of cases of impaired or polluted drinking water supplies in states from Alabama to Wyoming.

The dangers are particularly acute in the Marcellus Shale, which, unlike the relatively shallow formations found elsewhere, lies miles underground. Getting the gas out will require far more water and heavy doses of chemicals. (NYT, 10/16/09)

AAEA-NY To Host Energy Forum at CUNY's Segal Theatre

The African American Environmentalist Association (AAEA) will host Air Quality and Electricity: Why it Matters to You on Friday, October 30th from 10:00am-12:00pm at City University of New York’s Segal Theatre, located at 265 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The event will include discussions on Energy in New York, air pollution, green jobs, the Waxman-Markey Climate Change Bill and the New York State Energy Plan.

To attend please RSVP by calling Lesley Cothran at(202) 944-3840 or via email at lcothran@urbanomics.com

NYDEC To Hold Environmental Justice Summit

NYS DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis, left, is inviting the public to attend a summit on Environmental Justice, Climate Change and Air Quality in New York State.

Location: US EPA Office located at 290 Broadway, 27th Floor, Conf. Rm. A, New York, NY 10007

Date: October 7, 2009

Time: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

The following individuals are scheduled to speak:

* Alan Belensz - Acting Director, Office of Climate Change; NYS DEC; Co- Chair Governor's Climate Council
* Cecil Corbin-Mark - Deputy Director/Director of Policy Initiative; WEACT
* Robin Schlaff - Special Counsel for Regional Affairs; NYS DEC; Chair of Sea Level Rise Task Force
* Jared Snyder - Assistant Commissioner, Air Resources, Climate Change and Energy; NYS DEC * Rob Sliwinski - Director, Bureau of Air Quality Planning; NYS DEC
* Elizabeth Yeampierre - Executive Director; UPROSE

Also invited: -City of New York, -U.S. EPA

Topics to be discussed include:

Climate Justice
Climate Policy and Addressing Climate Impacts in NYS
Air regulations in NYS
Governor Paterson's Executive Order 24
NYS's Sea Level Rise Task Force
Community Resilience, Adaptation and Mitigation

RSVP to Keisha Wilkerson at kjwilker@gw.dec.state.ny.us or call at (518) 402-8556

Lisa F. Garcia, Esq., Chief Advocate for Environmental Justice and Equity
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, 47-40 21st Street, Long Island City, NY 11101-5401 Tel: (518) 402-8556, (718) 482-4009 Fax: (718) 482-4962 lfgarcia@gw.dec.state.ny.us

Governor Paterson Issues Preliminary State Energy Plan

In March 2008, Governor David A. Paterson, left, issued Executive Order 2 directing the creation of a State Energy Plan. To create the new State Energy Plan, the Governor convened the State Energy Planning Board to conduct the planning process.

This morning, Governor Paterson and the State Energy Planning Board unveiled the State’s preliminary State Energy Plan. (NYAREA)

How Will Federal “Cap & Trade” Legislation Impact New York?

Click Image For Document

AAEA-NY, in cooperation with the New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (New York AREA), has published the issue brief, “New York State and the Waxman-Markey Bill.” Norris McDonald is a NY AREA advisory board member and he provides an overview of the legislation’s potential impact on New York and documents the state’s notable clean electricity generating portfolio.

NAACP Joins the Fight for Clean Energy

Due to the work of Jerome Ringo, John Grant and Marc Littlejohn, the NAACP approved a historic resolution addressing climate change for the first time in the organization's history at its Centennial Convention in New York.

During the legislative session of the NAACP Centennial Convention, delegates ratified a climate change resolution to support legislation that curbs global warming pollution. Calling on our nation’s elected leaders, the NAACP resolution pledges to “ensure that the response to climate change can take a higher ground than business as usual – one that ensures that we capture the real public benefits from the new energy economy.”

Jerome Ringo is past chairman of the National Wildlife Federation Board of Directors and president of the Apollo Alliance. John Grant is on the National Wildlife Federation Board of Directors and is CEO of 100 Black Men of Atlanta. Marc Littlejohn is manager of Diversity Partnerships, National Wildlife Federation

USDA Secretary Vilsack Speaks At NAACP Convention

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, left, participated in the NAACP's 100th Anniversary celebration in New York, N.Y., and reaffirmed his commitment to advancing civil rights at the agency - both for the department's customers and employees. He said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is implementing a comprehensive and aggressive program to improve the department's record on civil rights by correcting past errors, learning from mistakes, and moving into a new era as a model employer and premier service provider.

The Obama Administration has already taken several actions to improve civil rights at USDA. In May, President Obama announced his plans to include settlement funds for black farmers in the FY 2010 budget to bring closure to their long-standing lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 1999, the USDA entered into a consent agreement with black farmers in which the agency agreed to pay farmers for past discrimination in lending and other USDA programs. Thousands of claims have been adjudicated, but thousands of other claims were not considered on their merits because problems with the notification and claims process hindered some farmers' ability to participate. The total amount offered by the federal government is $1.25 billion.

President Obama's announcement followed a memorandum released by Vilsack in April, which detailed an aggressive plan to promote civil rights and equal access at USDA. The memo announced the following: Temporarily suspending all foreclosures within the Farm Service Agency's farm loan program, which is not only aiding farmers facing economic hardship but also providing the opportunity to review the loan granting process for possible discriminatory conduct; Creating a Task Force to conduct a review of a sample of program civil rights complaints that have been processed or that are currently being processed - the complaints and inquiries total over 14,000, including over 3,000 that have not been processed; and Granting greater authority to USDA's Office of Civil Rights.

The Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights will collaborate with the other agencies to develop and implement a proposal for data collection across USDA, make sure all complaints are incorporated as part of one data system; and develop USDA policy and training to ensure that all complaints are received and dealt with in a consistent manner within a specific timeframe. (USDA)

NY Supreme Court Decision on Adverse Environmental Impact

On June 19th, the New York Supreme Court issued its decision in Entergy's Article 78 petition. As background, the Assistant Commissioner decided that adverse environmental impact (AEI) caused by the Indian Point cooling water intake structure already had been established and therefore, Entergy could litigate that issue in the SPDES proceeding. Entergy appealed that aspect of the Interim Decision because Entergy viewed AEI as a threshold question. In other words, if the intake structure does not cause AEI, then there is no need for the best technology available (BTA) analysis. The court dismissed the petition for lack of ripeness.

The court did not hold that Indian Point’s cooling water system causes adverse environmental impact. The opinion recognizes that Indian Point currently operates under a valid SPDES permit. The opinion says the draft SPDES permit, which states that the intake structures cause an adverse environmental impact and establishes cooling towers as the best technology available, are non-final agency action. Therefore, there is currently no valid BTA determination and the contents of the final SPDES permit (including whether AEI exists or whether cooling towers are the best technology available) are uncertain until the completion of the pending administrative process.

New York Supreme Court Decision

4th RGGI Auction Yields $104 Million For Investments

The states participating in the first-in-the-nation cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases conducted their fourth regional auction of carbon allowances Wednesday, June 17th, raising $104.2 million for investment in the clean energy economy. Under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), these ten partnering states hold quarterly allowance auctions and invest the proceeds in energy efficiency, renewable energy and other programs that benefit energy consumers and create green jobs. All of the 30,887,620 allowances for the 2009 vintage offered in Wednesday’s auction sold at a price of $3.23.

Potomac Economics, the RGGI independent market monitor, found participation in the 2009 offering to be robust with 54 separate entities submitting bids to purchase 2.6 times the available supply of 2009 allowances. Compliance entities and their affiliates purchased 85 percent of the 2009 allowances offered.

In a parallel offering, the RGGI states also auctioned allowances for the second three-year control period beginning January 1, 2012. All of the 2,172,540 allowances for the 2012 vintage sold at a price of $2.06 with 13 entities submitting bids to purchase 1.5 times the available supply of 2012 allowances. Compliance entities and their affiliates purchased 81 percent of the 2012 allowances offered.

The states have now auctioned more than 110 million allowances and raised a total of $366.5 million since the first RGGI auction in September of 2008. The states are investing RGGI proceeds in energy efficiency, renewable energy, technology development and other consumer benefit programs. Overall, the states are investing the vast majority of proceeds in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Across the region, state energy efficiency programs are engaging municipalities, electric utilities, homeowners, businesses and not-for-profit organizations. Funds are being used to weatherize low-income homes, hire and train energy efficiency auditors, deploy combined heat and power and district heating and cooling systems, subsidize energy efficiency improvements for small businesses, educate contractors about energy efficiency and other initiatives.

The complete Market Monitor Report for Auction 4

Heather Jones New Resident Inspector at Vermont Yankee

Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania have selected Heather Jones, right, as the new resident inspector at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon, Vt. She joins NRC Acting Senior Resident Inspector Dave Spindler at the plant, which is operated by Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Jones joined the agency’s Region I office in 2005 after earning a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a graduate of the NRC’s Nuclear Safety Professional Development Program, a two-year training program that provides specialized training in nuclear safety and a broad perspective of NRC regulatory activities. Jones also completed a rigorous NRC inspector qualification program. Most recently, she was assigned as a reactor inspector in the Region I Division of Reactor Safety, performing engineering inspections.

Each U.S. commercial nuclear plant has at least two NRC resident inspectors. They serve as the agency's eyes and ears at the facility, conducting inspections, monitoring major work projects and interacting with plant workers and the public. Resident Inspectors can be assigned to any one site for up to seven years. (NRC)

Governor Patterson Proposes Energy Lesiglation

Governor David Paterson, right, is proposing energy legislation to:

1) Extend the Power for Jobs program that expires this month. The program is supposed to provide lower cost energy to companies that retain and create jobs.

2) Allow the New York Power Authority to provide energy efficiency services to local governments.

3) Authorize the start of a pilot project to collect carbon dioxide from smoke stacks and shoot it deep into the ground for storage as part of his "Jamestown Project." The Jamestown Project was first announced a year ago. Now Paterson wants the Legislature to authorize a demonstration project in the city in southwestern New York.

The Legislature session ends June 22. (Newsday.com, 6/4/09)

AAEA Registered to Participate in RGGI Offset Program

AAEA has registered to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) offset program. AAEA established a Carbon Mercantile Exchange (CMX) to provide an offset trading service. AAEA is also developing projects to produce greenhouse gas offsets. Our participation in the RGGI offset program will serve to enhance our efforts to mitigate global climate change and warming.

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Inc. (RGGI, Inc.) has contracted with Perrin Quarles Associates to administer RGGI COATS. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a cooperative effort by participating states to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that causes global warming. More information RGGI, Inc. is a non-profit corporation created to provide technical and administrative services to the CO2 Budget Trading Programs of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.