From Richard Webster at Riverkeeper
By the way, on CPV its already clear its NOT needed to replace Indian Point. Here is an LTE we wrote on the issue a while back after a bad WSJ op-ed:
In an op-ed on May 18, Robert Bryce continues to present inaccurate and outdated information regarding the closure of Indian Point. First, in December 2017, the New York Independent System Operator actually found that all but 100 MW of Indian Point’s output could be replaced without any new gas plants. NYISO’s report said that this modest need could be met by “combinations of solutions including generation, transmission, energy efficiency, and demand response measures.” Its latest predictions made in 2018 already show that reduced peak load has eliminated ALL of the “compensatory MW” need shown in the 2017 report. For example, the latest forecast for 2020 for the downstate summer peak is 380 MW lower than assumed in the 2017 report. Forecasts for later years show even greater reductions. This indicates that if NYISO redid the 2017 study using the 2018 forecasts, there would be zero deficiency without the new gas plants. This is a consistent trend; load forecasts continue to decrease as energy efficiency and solar power increase. Greater efficiency will also allow decommissioning of aging, inefficient plants. Governor Cuomo’s latest initiative mandating 3% per year efficiency gains and more battery storage, will ensure that demand will become lower than currently forecast. Mr Bryce and the pro-nuclear Manhattan Institute are entitled to their opinions but cannot base them on “alternative facts.” The reality is that new gas plants are not needed to replace the power from Indian Point. Further, no new gas plants are needed as demand continues to decrease and renewable sources, like solar and wind, increase.
