The 45 day clock for Gov. Cuomo to veto the proposed Pt. Ambrose Liquefied Natural Gas facility began clicking on Nov. 6 and ends on Dec. 21.
Please contact the Governor (518 474-8390, or @NYGovCuomo) to urge him to reject this proposal. At the same time, he should make a major commitment to develop an off-shore wind project in the same area.
Some info below.
Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Cuomo,
We write to urge you to veto Liberty Natural Gas, Port Ambrose Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project application. You have until December 21, 2015 to veto the application.
We hope that you will simultaneously announce your administration’s commitment to support the near-term development of off-shore wind off of Long Island, which was recently identified as the number one priority nationally for the federal Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management. Port Ambrose presents a direct conflict to the Long Island-New York City Offshore Wind Project, an offshore wind facility proposed for the same area that Port Ambrose would be located.
Such a dual announcement would further highlight your role as a national leader in the effort to address climate change. The development of off-shore wind is essential to the effort for our state and country to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.
Many groups have already detailed the many problems associated with the proposed LNG project: exacerbating climate change, posing a terrorist and security threat, and disrupting the ocean ecosystems and local economies dependent on it.
Far from being a solution to climate change, the increased development and use of natural gas will make the problem worse. Methane or natural gas, however, is 72 times more potent at capturing heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after release – and to deal with climate change, we need to focus on the next few decades. It global warming potential over 100 years is about 25 times that of carbon dioxide. (DEC uses a multiplier of 20 for methane.)
We hope in announcing your veto of Pt. Ambrose LNG that you will also announce a commitment for a state Power Purchase Agreement of 5,000 MW of off-shore wind by 2025.
NYSERDA’s March 2015 report, the New York Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Study, concluded that OSW could become the most viable option for delivering large-scale renewable electricity generation to New York City and Long Island. The study points out that a major long-term commitment by NYS to off-shore wind could alone reduce costs by 30%. Offshore wind development off Long Island is close to the significant demand for electricity in New York City and Long Island, and the wind resources can produce electricity in the afternoons, the time of peak demand.
One of the key conclusions is that support of offshore wind energy development at scale, rather than on a project-by-project basis, would have the greatest effect on costs amongst the economical options. Whatever state builds the first major off-shore wind project is likely to attract the infrastructure investment in manufacturing, shipping, ports, and supply chain that will position it to be the center of the off-shore wind built out along the east coast.
NYPA funded studies show that a single OSW project could generate total economic activity of $1 billion in sales, 8,700 job-years and $610 million in wages for New York State.[1] A 2014 study by Stony Brook University found that if 2,500 MWs of projects were developed, Long Island would get 58,457 construction and operations phase jobs, as well as approximately $12.9 billion in local economic output.”[2] It is well documented that far more jobs are created per unit of energy generation in renewables than fossil fuels.
A 2012 survey found that 85% of Long Island residents support off-shore wind if it is located at least 12 to 15 miles off shore.
By vetoing Port Ambrose and simultaneously committing to development of offshore wind, you will demonstrate a real energy vision by moving New York forward in meeting the challenges of climate change while building a strong local economy based on sustainable, living wage jobs.