As a member of Long Island’s first responder community and volunteer firefighter, I’m always evaluating every storm and every impact manmade or natural event disrupt our norm. Each time we get a major snowstorm or every October when the Superstorm Sandy anniversary is upon us, I take stock of where we are as a region and how prepared we are when mother nature challenges us. One aspect of our daily preparedness these storms make me think of is our shared electric grid. Is what we have today ready for tomorrow’s worst? Are there backup plans to keep power flowing to those most in need? This is even more in the forefront as we rapidly move to add more electric vehicles, heat pumps, and energy intensive devices, placing even more of an onus to strengthen our electric grid.
Today, we know that because of climate change, we will only see an increase in storms with rapid intensification.
Unfortunately, a recent “Comprehensive Reliability Plan” from the New York Independent System Operator noted that “The New York electric grid reliability margins are narrowing…” and cited risk factors including “extreme weather.” The report notes that to ensure reliability, we must embrace solutions that mitigate climate change and support resiliency for Long Island without unnecessary delay.
Like many Long Islanders, I’m following all that’s going in the energy space from efficiencies to offshore wind to battery storage, and I recently started learning about Propel NY Energy and the transmission upgrades that are planned for our region. This major system overhaul on Long Island is exactly what we need to improve our area’s reliability and resilience. By adding new underground lines and substations, we’ll have a the latest in technology working to make sure that we have an adequate and dependable power supply even as we use more electricity at our homes and businesses. But the biggest benefit from my perspective is that we’ll be able to reduce our vulnerabilities and maintain power flows on Long Island even as we continue to be challenged with more unpredictable weather events.
The project is in its early phases, and I urge my fellow Long Islanders to learn more about it and provide input to improve the project. While you’re learning about the project, I encourage everyone to think about the importance of this from the standpoint of public safety and our first responder community. Let’s work together as a region now to improve the reliability and resiliency of our electric grid of tomorrow.
John Jordan
Former Commissioner, Suffolk County Department of Fire and Emergency Management
