COOPERSTOWN _ The receipt of a $1 million state grant by several local counties to fund a regional "sustainability plan" lauding energy efficiency has quickly become intertwined with the heated debate over natural gas production.
The funding is from the Cleaner, Greener Communities Program run by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. It was reeled in by Otsego County planning and economic development officials, acting in concert with their counterparts in Schoharie, Herkimer, Fulton, Oneida and Montgomery counties.
On Thursday, the Otsego County Board of Representatives awarded a contract worth up to $899,019 to the consulting firm Ecology and Environment Inc., based in Lancaster, to oversee the first phase of the project.
Among other things, the consultants will determine the sources of greenhouse gases released in the region and come up with inventories of transportation networks and water supply systems, said Robert Singer, a project manager with Ecology and Environment.
The consultants, along with county officials, will be enlisting "stakeholders" with a range of interest and experience in energy issues to identify potential projects consistent with NYSERDA's objectives of promoting "renewable energy" and "clean technologies."
What those stakeholders ultimately recommend will likely end up coming back before county lawmakers, although the resolution enacted by the board Thursday stopped short of giving the panel final say over the plan expected to be produced by the consultants and stakeholders.
Adrian Kuzminski, the moderator of the anti-drilling group Sustainable Otsego, said he was disappointed the Otsego board did not insist on getting the final report before it is submitted to the state.
"It's an issue that involves public policy, and the board shouldn't be delegating that to some committee or group that is not elected," he said. "The full board should take responsibility for policy issues. This is going to be an ad hoc process that is not really very accountable."
He also said the group that will work on the recommendations should refrain from even considering any suggestion of converting county-owned vehicles that run on gasoline and diesel fuel to allow them to run on natural gas. As another type of fossil fuel, he argued, natural gas is not a sustainable form of energy and has no place in the mix of alternative energy options.
On the other end of the spectrum of viewpoints, county Rep. James Powers, R-Butternuts, said in an interview he views natural gas as both sustainable and a "clean" form of energy. He said he wants the new study to look into promoting energy produced by natural gas over energy produced by burning coal or other fossil fuels.
"The truth of the matter is that natural gas reduces greenhouse gases, and that is clearly what the state and federal government are after _ reducing greenhouse gases," Powers said. "The energy situation has a lot of different parts, and natural gas is one of them."
In separate interviews, county Rep. Beth Rosenthal, D-Roseboom, disagreed with Powers, saying, "A lateral move from one fossil fuel to another fossil fuel is not a step in the right direction." She said while the sustainability plan would be developed for the region, its components would be tailored to individual areas, taking into account Otsego County has an economy relying on tourism and agriculture while Utica is an urban city.
Rep. Rich Murphy, D-Oneonta, said he would keep an open mind on the subject and give the stakeholders working on the plan a chance to evaluate the options.
"At this point, it's premature to eliminate any sources of energy that would be considered alternative energy," Murphy said.
Murphy said that while he opposes hydrofracking in Otsego County, he is not drawing a line against expanding reliance on gas produced outside the region.
Darla Youngs, director of the Otsego County Conservation Association, called the debate over converting county vehicles to natural gas "premature." She said the plan could suggest the development of solar farms and expanded bike lanes along roads. She called it a "great opportunity" to collaborate and generate ideas that will lead to reduced emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
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