Local Businesses Call for 'Winds of Change'
Buffalo, New York — Thursday morning, business owners, concerned
residents and union representatives gathered to call on Gov. Cuomo to make a
commitment to boost wind energy in the state.
The event, hosted by the Sierra Club Niagara Group and Beyond Coal
Campaign, was to celebrate sixty local businesses signing on to the campaign.
“Fossil fuel plants across the state drive climate change and can
make people sick with diseases like asthma,” said Sierra Club Beyond Coal
organizer Charlotte Olena. “New York can
be a leader in clean energy production.
Sixty local businesses have spoken: it’s time for Gov. Cuomo to lead on
climate issues and make a serious commitment to boosting wind energy across the
state.”
The Sierra Club’s “Turn, Don’t Burn” campaign is calling on Gov.
Cuomo to be a champion for wind in New York State by doubling onshore wind
energy by 2018 and support an offshore wind project this year. With questions emerging about the viability
of power production from sources like the Huntley Coal Plant, the Sierra Club sees
wind energy as the way forward for Western New York.
“If given a fair chance and a level playing field, wind can
compete dollar for dollar with the fossil fuels, and in some cases it’s cheaper
because the fuel is free” said Thom Fleckenstein, the owner of Niagara Wind and
Solar. Businesses across Western New
York have endorsed the Turn, Don’t Burn campaign, including
Fleckenstein’s. “As a small-scale wind
developer, a commitment from Gov. Cuomo to support wind like the NY Sun
Initiative would mean a lot to my business and open doors for others like me in
New York.”
Clean energy is not just a concern for environmentalists or wind
developers. For New York’s workforce,
clean energy programs can mean well-paid jobs.
“We have an obligation to our future generations to provide good jobs and
a clean environment. We can and must
achieve those goals simultaneously,” remarked Michael Murphy, Rapid Response
Coordinator for the United Steel Workers Local 8823, based in South Buffalo.
“Western New York is poised to emerge as a leader in wind development
both because of being home to some of the richest wind resources in the state,
and also because of our region’s history of manufacturing. All we need is for Governor Cuomo to make it
happen.”
It is not only businesses signing on to the Sierra Club’s
campaign. Last week, State Senator Mark
Grisanti submitted comment to NYSERDA calling for more wind energy in the
Governor’s State Energy Plan. His
statement too, called on Gov. Cuomo to “make New York a climate leader,” with a
commitment to increase wind capacity.
“It is up to this generation and this Governor to take action
immediately to transition from fossil fuels to renewables,” commented Lynda Schneekloth,
the chair of the Sierra Club’s Niagara Group.
Fossil fuel powered plants are the biggest drivers of climate change due
to carbon emissions. Even natural gas
plants pose the risk of leaking methane, which, according to the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change can be 34 times worse than carbon
dioxide as a heat-trapping gas.
“The climate is changing and we can just let it
happen or we can design a way forward.
We have the technology in wind power, and if states like Iowa, Texas and
South Dakota can get 20% of their electricity from wind, New York should be
able to do the same. Governor Cuomo, we
ask you to lead us there.
The group’s efforts this spring have been around uniting concerned
residents, business owners, and organizations to bring attention to the issue of
clean energy in Western New York.
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Report in The Buffalo News: Group pushes for New York State’s help in building wind turbines
