Renewable energy in New York today

The thrust toward renewable energy has accelerated in recent years as the dangers of relying on fossil fuel energy are realized. Climate change is a real threat, and burning coal, natural gas, and crude oil is a major contributor.

Apart from the carbon emissions, generating electricity from these traditional sources also creates pollution in the form of particulates and harmful substances released into the atmosphere.

Climate change and pollution are not the whole story either; fossil fuels are a finite resource and are beginning to run out. There is the very real possibility that in the next 75-150 years, there simply won’t be enough reserves left to power the world¹. And as the resources dwindle, energy will become more expensive to produce.

This triple whammy of climate change, pollution, and lack of resources has spurred interest in renewable, clean energy generation. New York is ideally placed to capitalize on this fundamental change in energy production. It may lack fossil fuels, but it is well set to expand its renewable energy generation.

According to the New York Farm Bureau, nearly 25% of the state is farmland (that’s around seven million acres)². Farmland is ideal for the siting of wind farms and growing crops for biomass. The potential is huge.