Renewable energy, National Grid rate hike, electric vehicles

Create new ways to make electricity

This isn’t the first time America has put the cart before the horse [“Gas-linked utility costs trend higher,” News, July 30]. While the country is having an all-out push to get Americans to use less fossil fuel in favor of electricity, the irony isn’t lost that making electricity is often dependent on fossil fuel.

On Long Island, electricity-generating stations are dependent on natural gas. Even with gas prices stable, the increased usage is being seen in higher power-supply charges on our electric bills. Ironically, if you buy an electric vehicle to move from fossil fuel to clean electricity and save at the gas pump, you are increasing the use of fossil fuel to make more electricity and increase your electric bill.

It would seem logical to find and create ways to not use fossil fuel to make electricity before we push ways to use more electricity.

— Paul Spina Jr., Calverton

What’s National Grid vowing in return?

New York’s Public Service Commission has approved a substantial increase in natural gas rates over the next three years [“$33 a month gas rate hike for National Grid,” News, Aug. 16]. This at a time when wholesale gas prices are generally decreasing. Beyond a vague and unenforceable commitment to improve infrastructure and customer service, National Grid has promised nothing in return.

Surely, a state government agency works for the taxpayers, not the corporations, right? The PSC just transferred mountains of wealth from ratepayers to National Grid with no visible justification. Public Service Commission? Plutocrats’ Service Commission might be a better name.

— Dave Stein, Ridgewood

After watching National Grid repair a gas leak on my Town of North Hempstead apron that took almost two years and two tries, it is no surprise that National Grid will be increasing consumer bills.

The workers, some of whom were subcontractors, worked hard and were extremely nice but killed grass and a town-planted tree, and they had to pour new concrete twice.

While I was glad to get it all replaced, courtesy of other customers, National Grid should require more than one estimate for damages incurred. And overtime costs compared to additional hiring should be reviewed.

National Grid’s communication was miserable, too. There was no communication when the digging and concrete work would begin beyond the drilling noise heard early in the morning. More than a half-dozen calls were not returned, including calls to a number provided on a Grid postcard sent to multiple residents discussing major work planned — that never happened.

It must be nice to be in management at a monopoly that can simply keep increasing rates and not be held accountable to those who pay their salaries and benefits.

— John Minogue, Manhasset

Will Hazelip of National Grid Ventures, US Northeast is right to point out that our transformation to a renewable energy economy is lagging, and I’d say lagging dangerously “Energy transition needs reliable power,” Opinion, July 30]. We need to supercharge our adoption of offshore wind and solar power and battery energy storage systems.

NIMBYism in Long Island towns is also inexplicably slowing renewable power. Southampton extended its battery storage ban despite having had a year to adopt a new fire code [“Town’s battery ban extension draws ire,” Our Towns, July 26]. Without battery storage, the town is simply wasting wind power, and leaving itself with local gas plant pollution and a less reliable grid.

Meanwhile, National Grid has locked in a huge rate increase that will hurt ordinary consumers. We’ll be paying for more gas infrastructure even as we need renewable energy to replace gas. That just doesn’t make sense.

As someone who teaches environmental science at Nassau Community College, I say that Gov. Kathy Hochul waving away original legislative climate goals is not acceptable.

— Douglas Schmid, Northport

Market should decide what cars we want

The article “Hesitancy over buying electric cars: survey” was not balanced [News, Aug. 15]. While replete with analysis from “advocates” and “sustainability experts” suggesting that more education was necessary to increase the public awareness and, thereby, lessen concerns about public charging availability, there was no input from anyone in the conventional automotive or petroleum energy industry.

Indeed, there was a presumption from a AAA Northeast auto club official about when it’s time for the public’s “entry into the electric market and eventually leading to the exit of the gas market.”

Hydrocarbon fuels have given us cheap, reliable energy for over 150 years, and market forces should determine what type of automobiles the public chooses, not arbitrary government mandates and timelines.

— Jeffrey Converse, Locust Valley