Far-left outlet reports the facts after closure of nuclear plant causes New York’s emissions to spike
The Guardian, a British editorial that touts itself as the “world’s leading liberal voice” amongst media outlets, just published an article by Oliver Milman that conceded conservatives have been right all along on energy policy—but vindication is bittersweet. I would much rather prefer to be wrong on policy ideas, instead of being handed high energy bills, butchered wildlife, toxic air, ugly wind turbines, and a worthless dollar.
Here’s the headline and lede from The Guardian:
A nuclear plant’s closure was hailed as a green win. Then emissions went up
Shuttering of New York facility raises awkward climate crisis questions as gas – not renewables – fills gap in power generation[.]
Here’s how a report at the New York Post summed it up:
Even lefties now admit closing the Indian Point nuclear plant actually HARMED the planet
For a little background, in 2021, the Democrats waging a war against clean and affordable energy successfully compelled New York state to shutter the Indian Point nuclear plant, which supplied New York City with around 25% of its power. Here are environmental ramifications, pointed out by Milman:
When New York’s deteriorating and unloved Indian Point nuclear plant finally shuttered in 2021, its demise was met with delight from environmentalists who had long demanded it be scrapped.
But there has been a sting in the tail – since the closure, New York’s greenhouse gas emissions have gone up.
Castigated for its impact upon the surrounding environment and feared for its potential to unleash disaster close to the heart of New York City, Indian Point nevertheless supplied a large chunk of the state’s carbon-free electricity.
Since the plant’s closure, it has been gas, rather then clean energy such as solar and wind, that has filled the void, leaving New York City in the embarrassing situation of seeing its planet-heating emissions jump in recent years to the point its power grid is now dirtier than Texas’s, as well as the US average.
‘From a climate change point of view it’s been a real step backwards and made it harder for New York City to decarbonize its electricity supply than it could’ve been,’ said Ben Furnas, a climate and energy policy expert at Cornell University. ‘This has been a cautionary tale that has left New York in a really challenging spot.’
And of course, on top of the detriment to the environment, the agenda to move towards wind turbines and solar panels meant a drastic increase in utility costs; from Rick Karlin at the Olean Times Herald last summer:
Electricity prices could rise 64% in order to cover inflation and the higher-than-anticipated costs that are becoming apparent in New York’s shift to renewable energy, according to a leading state agency.
‘The impact of implementing ACE (Alliance for Clean Energy) NY’s requested relief ... would be an increase in weighted average strike (base) prices of 64%,’ reads part of the comments from the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency, which sets contracts for electricity sales by solar and wind developers.
Again, I hate to say “we told you so” but nothing is more apropos; as someone in the comments astutely observed about leftist in power:
Leftists with power are dangerous because they believe their childish fantasies, and never consider the unintended consequences. This is due to almost never being held accountable by the government/media complex, which usually covers for their failures by burying negative info.
Well, it looks as though the wind has shifted, and there may be some accountability after all from the media complex—evidenced by the fact that The Guardian, of all newspapers, published the honest truth on the dirty energy of the left.
Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.