New York, NY. Last night the NY League of Conservation Voters Education Fund hosted a Mayoral Forum on Sustainability at Cooper Union, at which the candidates were asked about their views on closing Indian Point. It is time that New York City get behind the closure of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, which is a danger to our city and the 8 million people who live here. Virtually all of NYC is within 50 miles of Indian Point and could be made uninhabitable if there were a major accident at the plant. This is a risk we simply cannot afford.
Our next Mayor can and should lead the way in making sure we replace Indian Point by capitalizing on NYC’s renewable energy potential, which would create thousands of much-needed, quality jobs and make our city a center of the green economy.
It is also important to set the record straight on Indian Point’s role in our energy supply. While today’s New York Times article on the forum reported that Indian Point “supplies much of New York City’s electricity,” this is simply not true. Multiple reports in recent years, including a study for the state Energy Planning Board last fall, have proven that Indian Point can be readily and affordably replaced. The question is not whether we can get by without Indian Point, but how do we want to do it.
Indian Point can be replaced entirely with green energy solutions at virtually no additional cost, as outlined in a report last month that showed New York State could be powered entirely by renewable energy by 2030. Most importantly for NYC, CUNY published a report in 2011 showing that the city has enough solar energy potential on our rooftops to generate half of our electricity on the hottest summer day – nearly three times as much energy as Indian Point generates.
Our next mayor should lead the way in making our city’s energy supply safe, clean, and secure – starting with the closure of Indian Point and replacing it with solar power and other green energy solutions. By capitalizing on NYC’s renewable energy potential, we could build a truly green economy, create thousands of jobs, replace Indian Point, and reduce fossil fuel emissions.
About the Alliance for a Green Economy-NYC
The Alliance for a Green Economy-NYC (AGREE-NYC) is a local coalition promoting a citywide transition to renewable energy with sustainable energy sources. AGREE-NYC supports the closure of Indian Point for environmental, safety, and public health reasons that can be found on our website: http://allianceforagreeneconomy.org. AGREE-NYC is affiliated with the statewide Alliance for a Green Economy.