Posted on 04/29/2026 6:44:00 AM PDT by MtnClimber
Co-op City, located (like the Yankees) in the New York City borough known as The Bronx, is the largest co-op apartment community in the City, and indeed in the United States. Built in the 1960s and 70s, it has more than 15,000 residential units in some 35 high-rise buildings, plus a smaller number of townhouses. Here is an aerial picture of about a quarter of the complex that appeared in today’s New York Post:
Co-op City has now suddenly become ground zero in the clash between energy fantasy and reality that is starting to come into focus as the deadlines of the State’s and City’s 2019 climate statutes start to get closer. The New York Post reports on the reality side of the story in a large piece today with the headline “NY’s climate mandates may send fees in affordable Co-Op City complex soaring from $950 to $4K.”
But before getting to that, let’s look at the fantasy side of the story, which continues to hold its death grip on large swaths of the local population. Back in January, a group of businesses and trade associations calling itself the Coalition for Safe and Reliable Energy submitted a Petition to the Public Service Commission asking it to hold a hearing on whether the deadlines of the State’s Climate Act, currently set to start to bite in 2030, should be extended. (To view the Petition, go to item 63 under “Filed Documents” at this PSC docket.). The PSC then opened a public comment process as to that Petition, which process is ongoing.
Over the past few weeks the comment process has cranked up, and large numbers of comments have flooded in. You may or may not be surprised to learn that hundreds of these comments are identical, or nearly so. (To view the comments, go to the same PSC link above and click the “Public Comments” tab.). The comments apparently have been rounded up by environmental activist groups that have asked their members and donors to sign and submit form responses.
Here is an excerpt from one of those form responses that has been copied and pasted into hundreds of these identical comments:
[A]ny further investments in the fossil fuel economy will have a negative financial impact on New Yorkers. Costs of energy in New York are driven by the price of fossil fuels, which are highly volatile and affected by events outside of the control of New York, such as the invasion of the Ukraine by Russia and the U.S. war on Iran. Sticking to fossil fuels means unpredictable, unaffordable bills for New Yorkers. Renewable energy - which requires no fuel - offers predictable costs which makes families less vulnerable to energy price shocks. Renewable energy is a long-term cost-saving strategy that will promote affordability and protect New York utility customers from the impacts of volatile fossil fuel prices. I urge the PSC to reject the unsupported request to hold a hearing. . . .
Apparently these many hundreds of commenters have come to believe that shifting from what they call a “fossil fuel economy” to “renewable energy” is a “long-term cost-saving strategy” that will provide “affordability” to New Yorkers. Nothing in their letters gives any clue how they have come to this conclusion, or what calculations or feasibility studies they may have made to ascertain the “affordability” that they think is so easy to achieve with “renewable” energy.
Meanwhile, over on the reality side of the equation, at Co-op City, they are confronting the actual costs of compliance with the impending and overlapping mandates of both the State’s and City’s climate statutes. Co-op City is an owner-occupied community, so the costs of compliance will fall on the owner-occupants. The racial demographics of the community, per NICHE.com, are: 64% African-American, 28% Hispanic, 4% white, and 4% other. So this is not exactly your vision of the snooty Park Avenue Manhattan co-op. Co-op City currently has its own power plant — fueled by natural gas — that provides all the electricity for the complex, as well as heat, hot water, and air-conditioning. Monthly maintenance bills to the owners, which include the cost of energy, currently average about $950 for a one-bedroom unit.
Co-op City’s current fossil fuel power plant is apparently quite efficient, but not enough so to meeting the impending deadlines of New York City’s Local Law 97. Under that statute, they must convert to electric heat by 2035. They have now done studies on the prospective cost of that, and the Post reports on the results in today’s piece. Excerpt:
A top Co-Op City official warned that residents could pay four times more in monthly maintenance charges if New York State’s controversial green-energy laws aren’t peeled back. Jeffrey Buss, Co-Op City’s general counsel, claimed monthly maintenance fees could skyrocket from $950 for a one-bedroom to more than $4,000 to pick up the tab for the edicts. . . . [T]he state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019, coupled with a city green energy law [Local Law 97], would force Co-Op City to shut down its natural gas power plant and replace it with carbon-free clean energy sources such as wind, solar, hydropower and battery storage, [Buss] said.
So between the costs of the electric heat conversion, closing their own efficient power plant, and buying lots of additional electricity from Con Edison, they project that the residents’ monthly maintenance costs will multiply by about a factor of four, from under $1000 per month to about $4000. Apparently that’s what the PSC commenters think of as “affordable.”
Co-op City has looked into building “renewable” resources to replace its natural gas power plant, but has figured out that that is completely infeasible:
Buss said it is technologically impossible for Co-op City to completely replace its gas-fueled plant with cleaner energy sources. He said renewable, fossil-free energy sources such as solar, wind, or geo-thermal energy aren’t capable to meet the heating, cooling and electrical demands of Co-Op City. “Although our co-generation turbines can run on 30% hydrogen,” Buss said, “there is no hydrogen supply…I don’t know the solution.”
They do have a plan to install solar panels on top of the parking garages, but those will be capable of providing only a small percentage of their power needs:
Co-op City is diversifying by installing solar panels on top of its garages, which would result in the largest urban solar project in the US. But solar energy would only meet a fraction of Co-op City’s power needs, he said.
Buss’s conclusion: complying with the impending State and City energy mandates would be “foolish.”
We are facing the consequences of having ignorant environmental activists and politicians trying to re-design our energy system. Fortunately, Co-op City comes complete with a large bloc of voters who, when they learn what the ignoramuses have in store for them, can take their revenge at the ballot box.
Correct - it cannot be just wind and solar — the power grid needs a diversified source base - hydropower, coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar, bio etc.
Low-emission sources (renewables + nuclear) are projected to reach 50% of global electricity generation by 2030. This will help us IN CONJUNCTION WITH gas / coal etc.
I see this as:
1. breaking the back of the Saudis etc. who rely on oil revenues to sponsor jihadiism
2. making oil cheaper so that the other products from hydrocarbons (plastics etc.) can get cheaper or even more innovative uses.
3. Eliminating the ability of oil states like the ME or Russia from holding the world economy hostage
want even more ignorance?? Co-op city is part of aoc’s district yet despite the fact the lives of nobody who lives there is improving- they keep re-electing her...
Crazy. It is why I fully believe many elections are corrupt or gamed.
bookmark
What?? The Energy Fairy is not complying with government mandates to make Green Energy abundant, affordable, and dispatchable? Why, the very nerve of the Energy Fairy to not get with the program!
Only in the fevered minds of innumerate and technically illiterate government bureaucrats is quadrupling fees “affordable.”
The funny thing is that President Trump is supposedly losing the “affordability” argument and people actually claim to prefer Democrat plans for “affordability.”
I guess I misunderstood what a co-op is. I always thought a co-op was kind of an up-market thing, where prospective buyers had to be vetted by a board.
The greenest country out there, Germanistan, went green communist and look how its industrial output has been cratering:
You are just a Polish virus trying to infect America with the Eurotrash pathology of green communism.
It already looked like a Hell on Earth from the aerial photography. That just cements it.
Nice try, chicom newbie - how is the yuan coming along?
The ‘60’s? Oh, just like Pruitt Igo in StLouis. Torn down after decades of rat habitation.
You’re fixated on China’s coal permits while their solar capacity is officially set to surpass coal this year, proving they are scaling for energy dominance while you advocate for American surrender to 1970s oil shocks.
My priority remains bankrupting the Wahhabi and Russian regimes through any means necessary; -- your priority seems to be keeping the US a permanent hostage to the Strait of Hormuz
With US renewables beating gas generation for the first time this past March, the only "pipe dream" is your belief that we should stay tethered to the petro-dictators' money machine for one second longer
Your adopted country of Poland has resisted this stupidity yet you preach it to us. Poland has a history of opposing the green movement in Europe, particularly under previous nationalist governments. These administrations consistently blocked progressive environmental laws within the EU and were criticized for actions such as logging in protected areas like the Białowieża Forest. Disgusting.
Nope. You are telling falsehoods.
I support and supported nuclear power.
You on the other hand, you advocate for American surrender to 1970s oil shocks.
My priority remains bankrupting the Wahhabi and Russian regimes through any means necessary; — your priority seems to be keeping the US a permanent hostage to the Strait of Hormuz.
How much yuan does it take to sell out the USA?
Look! I got a green bean communist, a Polish former America , to advocate for nuclear power!
Go bother your fellow countryman in Europe and leave us alone communist.
>>He said renewable, fossil-free energy sources such as solar, wind, or geo-thermal energy aren’t capable to meet the heating, cooling and electrical demands of Co-Op City.
Simple solution is for Co-op City to “demand” less. They should give up their A/C in the summer, their heating in the winter. Cooking is bourgeoise, just eat ze bugs raw. They should adapt their lives to the government ration of energy.
Well, you do admit to being a communist.
Congratulations on admitting it. Now yell us about the yuan payments.
My priority remains bankrupting the Wahhabi and Russian regimes through any means necessary; — your priority seems to be keeping the US a permanent hostage to the Strait of Hormuz
With US renewables beating gas generation for the first time this past March, the only “pipe dream” is your belief that we should stay tethered to the petro-dictators’ money machine for one second longer
“Well, you do admit to being a communist.”
Claims the FORMER AMERICAN living in a communist EU where the right to free speech is nil, the economy is tanking and the islamofascists and communists are taking over with your help. You are a crypto-communist, boot-licking maggot larping as a patriot.
My wife and I just came home from visiting her family in China, we spent three weeks traveling the country by train. The only “green” power generating station that I saw was a small wind farm on the NE edge of Beijing that probably covered about 100 acres. I’m guessing that it is a demonstration facility to sell wind turbines to stupid Americans and Europeans.
Throughout the rest of the country, there are numerous very large nuclear and coal fired generating stations. Obviously, the Chinese haven’t bought into the green energy madness.
>What?? The Energy Fairy is not complying with government mandates to make Green Energy abundant, affordable, and dispatchable? Why, the very nerve of the Energy Fairy to not get with the program!
Worth saying again. Consider that stolen, I’m going to endeavor to use that.
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