L.I.’s leadership in clean energy begins with fortifying our power grid

Long Island has the potential to be the East Coast’s clean energy hub. Thanks to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s dedication to making New York a leader in renewables, we’re poised to add a fleet of new offshore wind turbines that will transform our energy system.
But 10 years after Hurricane Sandy left 200,000 homes without electricity for weeks, Long Island still does not have a reliable, fortified transmission grid that could handle heightened demand, the connection of additional renewable energy projects, like offshore wind, and more frequent intense storms due to changing climate all at once. The grid needs to be rebuilt now, so we’re ready for clean energy and prepared to withstand the next Sandy.
With a commitment to upgrading our transmission grid, Long Islanders would see clear benefits, including an influx of thousands of good-paying jobs, a reinvigoration of the middle class, and the forging of a clear path to welcoming and integrating new offshore wind projects that advance the state’s clean energy goals.
Recent grid failures around the country are reminders of our vulnerability. As frigid temperatures resulted in historic, widespread power outages throughout Texas in 2021, and wildfires continue to cause devastating outages across the Southwest, the weaknesses in our aging national grid have never been more obvious. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently estimated that 70 percent of U.S. power lines are well into the second half of their life expectancy, and The Wall Street Journal reported that the grid has become “increasingly unreliable.”
Several states have responded to climate disasters by investing in local grid-modernization projects. After Hurricane Wilma caused significant power outages throughout Florida in 2005, state regulators and electric utilities undertook initiatives to harden the grid, strengthening power lines to withstand extreme winds and replacing wood transmission structures with steel or concrete. When Hurricane Irma struck Florida in 2017, the Florida Public Service Commission concluded that the grid-hardening initiatives had “markedly” reduced outage times, allowing customers — and the state’s economy — to get back to normal faster. 

A similar hardening program could work on Long Island, where we sometimes struggle to maintain power in just a thunderstorm. The New York Independent System Operator is currently reviewing proposals from transmission developers, including NextEra Energy Transmission New York, to build a resilient grid for Long Island, including common-sense hardening solutions for our substations, a critical part of our transmission system. By elevating equipment on concrete pads as a protective measure against flooding and storm surge and improving communication links between substations to ensure reliability during storms, we can significantly strengthen Long Island’s power grid.
The high stakes and potential benefits could not be clearer. The time is now to move these resiliency investments to the top of the priority list.
Modernizing Long Island’s grid will ensure that we can keep the lights on cleanly and reliably while working to maintain New York’s status as a global leader in clean energy initiatives. In 2019, New York passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which makes additional electrification an essential part of the strategy to decarbonize our economy, including 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind. However, Long Island’s current transmission system is far too weak to transfer the renewable energy planned for the area. Grid updates are imperative to offshore wind’s success.
Most important, Long Island is positioned to become a state leader in green jobs. The region is home to some of the state’s most skilled technicians and tradespeople, who are prepared for this work. Transmission developers and general contractors are willing to work with union labor in our state, and rebuilding the grid has the potential to create between 4,000 and 10,000 jobs in the region over five years of construction later this decade — injecting up to $2.7 billion into the local economy.
Upgrading our transmission system is a win-win for Long Island residents and workers. Improving Long Island’s grid will not only provide our skilled workers, and new workers, with a vital opportunity to build green infrastructure in their communities and pursue an attainable path to the middle class, but also jumpstart the region’s transition to clean energy.
Climate change is here, and the next Sandy is coming. It’s time for Long Island to take proactive steps to fortify its grid. We can create countless good-paying jobs and build a resilient, storm-hardened transmission grid that will serve Long Islanders’ homes and businesses with a steady stream of clean and reliable energy.

Gary LaBarbera is president of the New York State Building & Construction Trades Council.