State to Put Forth Plan for Sustained Renewable Fuel Production

February 03, 2009

Albany, NY—The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced The Pace Energy and Climate Center has been selected to develop a renewable fuels roadmap (the Roadmap) and sustainable biomass feedstock study that will help guide New York State policy on renewable fuels. The Roadmap was one of several recommendations from Governor David A. Paterson’s Renewable Energy Task Force report issued in 2008. The project is co-sponsored by the New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation and Agriculture and Markets; who along with NYSERDA will oversee the development of the Roadmap.

“With federal and state policy calling for increased use of renewable fuels to diversify our fuel mix, it is vital that we have a better understanding of the sustainable feedstock resources for continued in-state renewable fuel production,” said NYSERDA President and CEO Francis J. Murray Jr. “The Roadmap will put forth a plan that assesses the economic, environmental, and energy impacts of renewable fuel production while identifying pathways in which energy dollars can be retained within the State.”

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said, “Governor Paterson’s Renewable Energy Task Force sent a clear message that New York State is committed to environmentally responsible growth of the renewable fuel industry, and the agricultural industry will play a key role in that growth. The development of the Renewable Fuels Roadmap and Sustainable Feedstock Supply Study is the necessary first step in identifying the potential environmental, economic and societal impacts, as well as opportunities to minimize any potential negative effects.”

“Governor Paterson has put together one of the most thoughtful and ambitious clean energy programs in the nation,” said DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis. “From energy efficiency and conservation to a hybrid vehicle lab to alternative fuels research, New York is implementing a broad portfolio of tactics to address global warming, improve our air and water quality and promote green jobs.”

The goal of the initiative is to identify the renewable fuels, feedstocks, pathways, and applications that would be sustainable and provide the most benefit to New York State by reducing lifecycle greenhouse gases and dependence on imported fossil fuels. Sustainability criteria and indicators will be developed to assess potential biomass feedstocks and renewable fuel production. Once the state has a firm understanding on the types of fuels that are sustainable, policymakers can determine how best to bring them to market.

“Dependence on foreign petroleum and the environmental impacts of fossil fuel consumption are issues of national concern,” stated James Van Nostrand, executive director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center. “The State of New York has both a challenge and opportunity; to move down a path that moves us away from reliance on fossil fuels and an opportunity to use New York’s agricultural and industrial capacity to develop biofuels for sale in-state and throughout the Northeast.”

New York’s transportation sector is 95 percent dependent on petroleum fuels. In addition, nearly one-third of New York homes use petroleum fuels for heating. All of these petroleum-based fuels are imported into the state, and cause significant amounts of “energy dollars” to be exported to support these fuel needs. A well crafted renewable fuel policy that utilizes information contained in the Roadmap could reduce monetary loss by redistributing energy dollars within the state rather than sending them out while also enhancing the environment and creating economic development opportunities for agriculture, forestry and other industries.

Because the renewable fuel industry is changing rapidly, the Roadmap is intended to be updated periodically to identify more economical and sustainable sources of renewable fuels progressing towards carbon neutrality. The Roadmap will address renewable fuels that are currently being used, near-term renewable fuels that are close to contributing to the reduction in fossil fuel use within a three to ten year time horizon, and promising future renewable fuels that may make significant contributions to fossil fuel reductions in more than 10 years.

The Roadmap is scheduled for completion in September, 2009

CONTACT:

Sal Graven, NYSERDA
(518) 862-1090 ext 3331
sg2@nyserda.ny.gov

Jessica Chittenden, NYS Ag & Markets
(518) 457-3136
Jessica.Chittenden@agmkt.state.ny.us

Yancey Roy, NYS DEC
(518) 402-8000
yxroy@gw.dec.state.ny.us