New York to use renewables for 50% of electricity

New York will use renewables to generate half of is electricity by 2030 after a new ruling by the state’s governor.

Andrew Cuomo, the New York State governor, directed the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) to draft a new Clean Energy Standard that will see the state receive at least 50 per cent of is electricity from renewable energy sources within 15 years.

The PSC was directed by Cuomo to immediately begin drawing up the new standard which is expected to boost financial sustainability and energy efficiency.

A similar target in the State Energy Plan was recently included in the state’s “50 by 30 goal” which also calls for a 40 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.

Cuomo said: “This plan is both rational and among the most aggressive in the nation.”

The public presentation of the new standard is expected to take place in June 2016.

Cuomo: “Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time, and we must act now. As discussions continue in Paris, we are taking real, enforceable actions in New York to lay the foundation for a thriving clean energy economy. With one of the most aggressive renewable energy goals of any state in the nation, we are leading by example to ensure the possibility of a bright future for generations to come.”