Power to the People
Syracuse City Eagle
Editorial
April 27th, 2006
The energy crisis has reached new heights in recent months with fuel and heating costs skyrocketing to previously untouched levels. Individuals and municipalities alike have struggled to find ways to lower those costs and east the financial strain they have caused.
One solution proposed in the city of Syracuse is switching to municipal power. The village of Solvay has long had its own grid, and its energy costs have been significantly lower than those of other municipalities. One group in the city has been pushing for the Driscoll administration to investigate the possibility of taking over power delivery from National Grid. This group, led by former Syracuse mayoral candidate Howie Hawkins, claims that communities that switched to public power saved as much as 50 percent on their energy bills.
Fifty percent! Thats an incredible number. Yet Mayor Driscoll did not include a provision in his budget to conduct a feasibility study, which the public power coalition estimates would cost about $40,000 and take roughly six months.
In light of the citys budget crisis, it is understandable that the administration might be hesitant to undertake such a study. It is possible that the cost of buying out National Grid and setting up the infrastructure for the city to take over power delivery might be prohibitive. But it might not. A feasibility study is necessary, and the cost and time necessary do not seem excessive for a project that could save businesses, residents, and the city itself many times that amount.
We need to investigate this possibility. If implemented, city residents and businesses might save so much on their energy bills that they would be willing to pay more in taxes and other fees that do directly to the city. If the cost of brining public power to Syracuse is too much, at least people would know that some attempt had been made. At the very least, taking steps toward public power and the treat of losing thousands of paying customers could force National Grid to take action to lower the cost of power to the consumer. In any case some action is necessary. It is contemptible that people must choose between hear and food in the city of Syracuse.