Wind turbines sit on a hill side near Rio Vista, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to accelerate the state's transition to using clean sources like wind supple electricity in the state. It's part of his proposal to spend $19.3 billion of testate budget on climate policies. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Gusty conditions on a December evening in 2021 had some in New York state charged up. Wind speeds hovered around 54 mph from late afternoon to later that night while also wreaking havoc with the nationally televised New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills game in Orchard Park.

Less than 24 hours later, officials were practically giddy to report that during the 10 p.m. hour Dec. 6, 1,808 MW of wind power was output on the state grid. That portion equated to 11% of the energy being consumed. Also touted in the announcement was the newly operational Cassadaga Wind, a 126.5 MW electrical facility with 37 turbines.

“This is a significant milestone and represents hard work and planning by stakeholders across government and the energy industry,” said Rich Dewey, president and chief executive officer of the New York Independent System Operator. “It is also a reminder of the rapid change impacting the bulk electric system and the need to carefully manage this transition. Timely development of new energy resources is critical to meeting the state’s renewable investment and decarbonization mandates while maintaining reliability.”

Less than two years later, that comment appears to be a lot of hot air.

Over a four-year period — dating back to July 2019 that includes an abundance of growth in wind turbines and solar farms — fossil fuels and natural gas remain king when it comes to the electricity mix in the Empire State. During one of the last heat waves of the summer on Wednesday, the New York Independent System Operator dashboard’s figures were similar to 2019.

Wind’s contribution was but a whisper at 0.5%. Solar was a bit better — on a sun-splashed day — at 1.5%. Nuclear made up 8%; hydropower was at 20% while natural gas is 26% and dual fuels — specifically coal — remain around 44%.

What were the 2019 readings during a July heat wave? Fossil fuels, nuclear and natural gas made up 82% of the state’s mix. Hydropower was 16%, while wind and solar made up the remaining 2%.

With all the investment and promotion by the state, many would think the contribution of solar and wind would be more than 2%. Even though they are not, higher rates for electricity are becoming a burden for users. A portion of this dilemma could be chalked up to inflation while other scenarios come from bad decisions.

Consider a recent report from Utility Dive, which provides news and analysis for energy and utility executives. Orsted, a company aiming to develop an offshore wind project for New York City, is seeking a 71% rate hike from the Public Service Commission. Without the increase, Orsted officials noted, a prized project pushed by Albany may not be viable.

That alone is one more sign that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s green agenda may be far too aggressive. Decisions are consistently being driven by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act that aims for 70% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040.

Another piece of the New York puzzle is many traditional plants located within the state have closed, including the NRG locations in Dunkirk and Tonawanda. This alone results in an increased costs due to the importing of power from other states and Canada.

During a February Public Service Commission meeting, members approved $6.6 billion in transmission upgrades to reduce congestion in three upstate regions for cleaner energy. While panel proponents spoke about benefits to the environment, opponents kept an eye on the other factor: major price increases for customers.

“The saddest part of what we’re doing today is that no one will know. No one will pay attention,” said John B. Howard, commissioner. “No one will know that upstate rate payers are potentially having higher impacts than downstate rate payers. … It will be after the bill impacts hit — and I guarantee you when these costs hit our rate cases — the howl from these same constituencies will be heard from here to Timbuktu.”

There has been a high financial investment on wind and solar within the last decade, especially right here in Chautauqua County. But over the last four years, there has barely been any real shift when it comes to the state grid. Wind and solar continue to be just a 2% piece of the power distribution.

As of today, that is not helping the environment — and it’s taxing consumers.

John D’Agostino is editor of The Post-Journal, OBSERVER and Times Observer in Warren, Pa. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-487-1111, ext. 253.