Shoreham / Wading River, NY - May 16, 2016 - A great wave of interest is engulfing the Shoreham-Wading River area. The governor has proposed a million-dollar study to construct a deep-water port, bridge, and\or tunnel at the LIPA power plant site in Shoreham.
The last time a New York Governor proposed development at this site, it cost tax payers billions of dollars for the now decommissioned Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant, leaving LIPA/PSEG ratepayers with an $8 billion debt that is included every month as part of our electric bill. The last thing we need is another billion-dollar mistake, in addition to losing our rapidly disappearing and environmentally sensitive wetlands.
The north shore wetlands provide not only natural habitat and buffer for the area, but also uniquely define the character of the Shoreham-Wading River community. Close to half of Long Island’s wetlands have disappeared.
According to a study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, from the 1970’s to the 2000’s, over 7,800 acres of all Long Island tidal wetlands, nearly a third of the island’s wetlands, have been lost to development.
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested towards protecting Long Island’s coastal wetlands, but now big money wants another bite at Shoreham. It is shameful that hidden agendas keep communities in the dark, while big money profits at our expense.
The community must be given a voice. If change is destined for the area, all stakeholders must be at the table. That is how democracy works. To bring in big ideas that will dramatically change communities without community input or knowledge is unfair, not only to the local area that will be directly affected, but to everyone who pays their taxes and expects government to work for them.
Shoreham has been the location of many historical projects including the renowned Tesla Tower, which was created by Nikola Tesla to produce free electricity. The site has been acquired by the not-for-profit Friends of Nikola Tesla, which has global support to restore the site and create a science museum. The museum is one of many local attractions that support our invaluable tourism economy.
The recent 60-acre S-Power solar farm in Shoreham has replaced the local sod farm with solar panels, and a 150-acre solar farm is progressing at Shoreham’s Tall Grass Golf Course site. Now another mega solar farm is being considered on the 700 acre National Grid property in the Shoreham-Wading River area. Three hundred acres of trees may be replaced with thousands of solar panels.
You may ask, why so many solar farms? LIPA needs additional power to supply Long Island during peak-use. They do not want to build an additional $2 billion Caithness power plant, and by tapping into large solar they hope to gain additional power. The problem is, our electric rates are not going down, they’re going up, because the deals with large solar companies cost more per kilowatt hour.
In addition, the large solar farms are filling the electrical storage capacity of the substations, preventing local residents from having the opportunity to put solar on their roofs. I’m a strong advocate for solar energy, however, solar should create a local benefit by being placed on the roofs of residential homes, commercial buildings, schools and on brownfields.
With the recent end to LIPA’s residential solar rebate program and the support of out-of-state solar companies taking over our communities, LIPA and PSEG need to rethink how they meet our energy needs.
The local voice must be part of the future energy vision, and our energy oversight departments, including the Public Service Commission and the Department of Public Service, must focus on the greater good for all residents, and not on big solar gaining big profits at our expense.