Dear Editor,
When temperatures rise, so does electricity demand. The same is true when temperatures fall. In both cases, demand for electricity goes up, wholesale electricity prices can hit untenable levels, and our power system can face immense strains, potentially leading to blackouts.
Recent extreme temperatures highlight the growing challenge of maintaining a reliable power system. For example, during a heatwave this summer, New Yorkers were encouraged to reduce electricity use to help the grid meet surging demand. This issue isn’t limited to summer – winter cold snaps also tax the system. These strains are a flashing red warning sign that policymakers should not ignore, because as electrification policies expand, reliability challenges could intensify.
The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), which oversees the state’s electric grid, issued a clear warning in its Power Trends 2025 report that reliability is becoming an issue. As fossil fuel-based power plants are retired, energy demand is rising dramatically. Yet renewable energy sources are simply not scaling up fast enough to fill the gap.
Additionally, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority recently released a draft State Energy Plan that details the current energy mix, potential future scenarios, and actions to get there. The proposed plan supports continued economic growth and ensures affordability while advancing energy policy objectives.
It is heartening to hear that Governor Hochul and her administration are taking a pragmatic approach and are focusing on consumer costs. The governor and her top energy officials have been signaling greater openness to a continued role for natural gas in the state’s energy mix, potentially including new pipelines that would expand gas supply, which in turn could enhance and strengthen grid reliability while helping to mitigate wholesale electric price volatility.
The draft plan recognizes the continued need for power plants, stating: “Combustion generating units will remain essential parts of electric grid reliability and affordability, and retirement of these units will not be able to occur until resources that provide the same grid reliability attributes are put in place.”
According to recent polling from the Empire Center, a significant majority of residents want energy that is affordable and reliable. New York needs an “all-of-the-above” energy policy that prioritizes quantity, reliability, and affordability, and natural gas must be part of that equation.
Investing in our energy infrastructure isn’t just about comfort during extreme weather; it’s about helping to ensure the economic competitiveness of our state while supporting thousands of good-paying union jobs. Major employers need assurance that power will be available when they flip the switch. Without that, businesses may choose to go elsewhere.
Natural gas is not a threat to renewable energy—it is a partner with them in a cleaner, more resilient energy future. Natural gas power plants, with their ability to ramp up and down quickly, provide a complement and balance to intermittent resources such as solar and wind, whose energy output can fluctuate significantly.
Energy policy doesn’t need to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Instead, we need to embrace a strategy that fosters a diverse portfolio of energy resources. We can support renewables while helping to ensure we don’t sacrifice reliability. We can transition to a greener grid without abandoning the tools that keep our system running today. And we can protect both our environment and our economy, but only if we are willing to be realistic about what it takes to power New York into the future.
Michael S. Giaimo
Northeast Region Director for the American Petroleum Institute