New York governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that he wants the state to commit to 100% clean energy by 2040. That’s not “renewable” energy, it’s zero-carbon energy, which potentially clears the way for nuclear and other non-renewable technologies to fill the gap.
In announcing the goals, New York joins a few other states including New Jersey, California, Hawaii and Washington, in announcing dramatic carbon reduction goals. Washington Governor Jay Inslee recently announced a plan to eliminate all fossil fuels from electricity generation by 2045.
New York’s goal is not quite as ambitious as California Senate Bill 100, which recently put the state on a path to 100% zero carbon-free electricity by 2045. While California doesn’t count existing hydropower as part of its renewable portfolio, New York does. However, New York is already executing on energy policies that pave the way for large percentages of renewable energy to be added to the state’s energy portfolio. Those include a target of three gigawatts of storage – one of the most ambitious in the country – and a mandate that 50% of New York’s electricity be generated by renewables by 2030.