At the Long Island Association’s Energy and Environment Committee meeting on Nov. 5, Carrie Meek Gallagher, the new CEO of the Long Island Power Authority, spoke about the future of energy on Long Island.
“Energy is very significant to our economy, our businesses and just our way of life here on Long Island,” Matt Cohen, LIA president and CEO, said. LIA is a nonprofit association that works to ensure Long Island’s economic vitality.
Gallagher, who took over at LIPA from John Rhodes in June, spoke with dozens of energy experts and local business owners about her priorities for the public authority, which owns the electric transmission and distribution system serving Long Island and the Rockaway peninsula. She has over 25 years of experience working in energy and sustainability in the public sector, having directed the Long Island office of the state Department of Public Service, and been the acting deputy secretary to the governor for energy and environment, and the regional director of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
“Everyone here is committed to making sure that Long Island’s energy need are met in a clean, efficient and safe way,” Pat Guidice, business manger of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1049, said. “I can’t tell you how happy we at IBEW-1049 are that Carrie is now at the helm of LIPA, ensuring we have clean and efficient energy that will be provided to Long Island.”
“Carrie’s commitment to the people of Long Island is second to none,” Guidice added.
Gallagher said that her priorities are to ensure that there is a clean, reliable and affordable power supply, and to strengthen LIPA’s partnership with PSEG Long Island, which provides electrical service to customers.
“We need power — we need energy to run our economy,” she said. “We know affordability is really critical right now, so that’s something we’re continuing to focus on.”
Entering contract negotiations with local and out-of-state energy providers over the next three years, Gallagher said she is focused on cutting costs without impacting performance. She has also continued outreach about LIPA’s Time-of-Day program, which allows customers to choose when they use electricity, at varying rates.
Gallagher assured attendees that LIPA is prepared for days of high-energy demand. “We have enough capacity on any given day to meet even our peak demands,” she said.
Clean energy — which, she said, Long Island is very committed to — helps relieve the grid in times of high demand. South Fork Wind, she said, has been providing LIPA with power for over a year. She said that Long Island leads the state in solar installations, with nearly 100,000 customers and businesses receiving solar energy. While federal tax incentives for solar power will expire at the end of the year, Gallagher said that LIPA is working with state and local partners to create an alternative option for residents looking to go solar.
“Solar works here,” she said. “We know Long Islanders are willing to adopt it, and we want to continue that momentum, as it really does make a difference.”
According to the state Department of Public Service’s 2024 Electric Reliability Performance Report, Gallagher said, LIPA has outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York for five years. This shows that the agency has consistently provided energy to Long Islanders, and, she added, it continues to invest in ensuring that it can provide reliable and affordable service in the future.
