By:Scott Brinton
So Bert Cunningham, LIPA's vice president of communications, called Mike Deery, the Town of Hempstead's communications director. Deery suggested the Norman J. Levy Park in Merrick, a former landfill that was transformed in 1998 into a lush nature preserve that now teems with flora and fauna.
Bingo.
Last Thursday, on a fishing pier at Levy preserve, LIPA Chairman Richard Kessel announced Green Choice, which will allow the power authority's nearly 1.2 million customers to select where they'd like their electricity to come from - either traditional power plants, which burn fossil fuels like oil, diesel and natural gas to produce power, or clean energy sources, like hydro, wind and bioenergy.
Kessel said Green Choice would help the environment. He noted that 95 percent of Long Island's electricity is currently generated at traditional, on-Island power plants, which emit toxins like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. All three are known as potential threats not only to the environment, but also human health. "Every time you generate electricity" from a power plant, "there are harmful emissions," said Kessel, with Merrick Bay shimmering in the sunlight at his back.
In an uncertain world where oil could one day become a scarce commodity, green energy sources are the future, Kessel said. The Green Choice Program, he said, "is the future coming to Long Island now."
In the coming weeks, LIPA ratepayers will receive a flier asking whether they wish to join the program. If they sign up, they must choose one of three companies to supply their electricity - Community Energy, EnviroGen or Sterling Planet. They must also decide whether they'd like all or half their electricity to come from green sources.
Kessel explained that the program is voluntary. "No one has to do this," he said, "I would urge all of our customers to do this."
Green Choice will come at an additional cost for those who sign up. For the average household with a monthly use of 770 kilowatt hours of electricity, it would mean an extra $9 per month if the homeowner is entirely on the green plan, and $4.50 a month for the half-plan.
Hempstead Town Supervisor Kathleen Murray, a Republican of Levittown, stood at Kessel's side, she said, to support the Green Choice Program. Murray noted that the town has committed to several environmentally friendly projects, including a fuel cell at the town animal shelter and a windmill at Levy Preserve that generates power to keep a pond circulating. She also said the town is seeking a LIPA grant to install solar panels at the town's Department of Environmental Conservation in Point Lookout.
State Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr., a Republican of Merrick, said Green Choice represents "an ongoing effort to lessen our dependence on foreign oil." He added that Gov. George Pataki supports the program.
Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg, a Democrat of Merrick, said the county is considering joining Green Choice, but he stopped short of committing to it. The Legislature recently heard a presentation by Community Energy, said Denenberg, who is chairman of the Legislature's Planning, Development and Environment Committee. He said the Legislature's presiding officer, Judy Jacobs, a Democrat of Woodbury, is looking into Green Choice's potential cost to the county.
Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said the program is "great for the environment, great for public health, great for the economy and great for America."
Mel Jones, president of Sterling Planet, said green energy represents the nation's hope for energy independence. "Sometime in the future, we won't have to worry about going to fight for our oil," Jones said. Right now, New York gets about 17 percent of its power from green sources.
Cunningham said that the power authority began developing Green Choice two years ago, when the price of oil was $22 to $25 a barrel. Today it has soared to nearly $50 a barrel. Because green power is a developing technology that is still in its infancy, it's still more expensive to produce than electricity from a power plant. But with oil prices skyrocketing, green energy is increasingly becoming a cost-effective alternative to traditional power sources, Cunningham said.
He added that LIPA hopes to sign 25,000 residential ratepayers up for Green Choice within two years. After that, the authority will revisit the program to see how well it's working.
All Green Choice energy must be produced in New York state. The Public Service Commission will certify that it is, Cunningham said.
Customers can discontinue the program any time, with 10 days' notice. To learn more about Green Choice, log on to www.lipower.org.
