Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
Borough President Molinaro tells Governor Paterson: “Wind power is answer to tomorrow’s energy challenges”
Fresh Kills windmills would make Island renewable energy capital of New York City
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – With New Yorkers paying the third-highest energy rates in the country and Con Edison customers bracing for the biggest one-time increase in their bills, Borough President James P. Molinaro today asked Governor David Paterson to support his plan for a Wind Farm at Fresh Kills to help keep energy costs down and prevent businesses from leaving the state.
In a letter to the new governor, Molinaro wrote: “New Yorkers pay 66 percent more for energy than the national average. On top of that, state regulators have approved a $425 million increase in rates for Con Ed next month. Due to soaring energy costs, businesses are leaving New York for less expensive areas of the country.
“To attract and keep companies here, we must lower costs by utilizing domestic energy alternatives to expensive foreign oil, which pollutes the environment and funds terrorism around the world,” Molinaro added. “We’re only dependent on foreign oil because we want to be. There’s no reason to be dependent, except for the special interests who care only about themselves, the public be damned.
“As Chair of the State’s Renewable Energy Task Force, you are well aware that wind power offers a clean, reliable, low-cost energy source,” Molinaro added. “A 14-month, $500,000 study underwritten by the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency and BQ Energy has found that not only is a windfarm feasible at Fresh Kills, but it is the only location in New York City that could support wind energy.
“Pending State and City approvals, the seven 400-foot turbines could generate 17 megawatts of energy, enough to power 5,000 homes. It would take 4.3 million gallons of oil per year to achieve this electric production. With oil at more than $100 a barrel today, the energy costs would be staggering,” Molinaro continued. “The cost of a windfarm at Fresh Kills to the City of New York would be zero. The City needs to begin the land lease process now.”
Molinaro concluded, “Staten Island is always in the forefront of new innovations. Our downzoning efforts and traffic improvements are being copied in the other boroughs. And now we have an opportunity to make Staten Island the renewable energy capital of New York City.”
March 26, 2008