Bill would authorize study to examine relocating utility wires in vulnerable neighborhoods to be buried underground to keep New Yorkers safe during weather emergencies
\nNew York, NY- In a continued effort to strengthen the city\u2019s infrastructure following Hurricane Sandy, the City Council will vote to order a study examining the feasibility of relocating overhead power lines underground. The bill would require the Mayor\u2019s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability (OLTPS) to conduct the study in order to determine areas of the city where relocation would be most advantageous.<\/p>\n
The Council will also vote on legislation to improve the city\u2019s green infrastructure by creating a stormwater retention planting guide and by increasing native plants in public landscapes.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the Council will consider legislation to create a green web portal explaining the benefits of, and financial incentives for, installing renewable energy systems.<\/p>\n
Underground Power Lines<\/p>\n
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, nearly 2 million New York City residents were without power. Parts of the city served by underground lines typically had service restored within a few days, whereas in areas supplied by above ground power lines, the restoration took much longer, and outages persisted for several weeks in some cases. Sandy showed just how vulnerable overhead utility lines are during extreme storms.<\/p>\n
Because climate change will likely increase the number of severe weather-related events that will impact the city, it is time to consider safeguarding certain overhead power lines by burying them. And although placing power lines underground will not prevent all outages, these lines are generally more reliable and are less susceptible to outages caused by weather conditions.<\/p>\n
The study that this legislation necessitates would be conducted over a period of six months and results would be submitted to the Mayor and the Council upon completion. The study would include an analysis of weather-related power outages over the last five years for both above ground and underground power lines, an examination of general network reliability for both types of power distribution and an estimate of the per-mile cost for undergrounding.<\/p>\n
\u201cClimate change is an undeniable reality, and the more lessons we take away from this storm, the better prepared we will be for the next one,\u201d said Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. \u201cTransferring existing overhead lines underground is an expensive proposition, and that\u2019s why it makes sense to identify specific neighborhoods that would benefit from this the most and to determine how much it will cost to relocate power sources in these areas. This is what our proposed forward-thinking study aims to determine.\u201d
\n\u201cThousands of residents across Queens and the outer boroughs were out of power for weeks after Sandy. It was an unacceptable situation that can be avoided in the future by moving power lines underground,\u201d said Deputy Majority Leader Leroy Comrie. \u201cThe study that this legislation mandates will give us a better understanding of where power lines can be, and need to be, moved underground to help prevent people from losing power when future Sandy\u2019s hit our shores. By identifying these areas, the city will be able to start discussing the viability of these projects at a more efficient, and at a cost-prohibitive rate. I would like to thank Speaker Christine C. Quinn, as well as my Council colleagues and Council staff, for their efforts on this legislation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the next super storm comes around, let\u2019s make sure we have learned from our past vulnerabilities,\u201d said Council Member Dan Garodnick, Chair of the Consumer Affairs Committee. \u201cWe need to protect New York\u2019s infrastructure from future harm, and exploring the feasibility of putting more power lines below ground is one way to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stormwater Retention and Filtration\/Increasing Biodiversity<\/p>\n
Water from even mild rain storms can overwhelm the city\u2019s sewer system, causing combined sewer overflows where stormwater and raw sewage are mixed and released into surrounding bodies of waters untreated.<\/p>\n
The Council will vote on a bill to require the Department of Parks and Recreation to develop and utilize a stormwater retention planting guide in order to use greenery to help manage stormwater runoff and combined sewer overflows.<\/p>\n
The manual will specify plant species and planting materials, such as soils, that best facilitate stormwater retention, as well as effective planting guidelines for stormwater management.<\/p>\n
The Council will also vote on legislation to increase native plant species on City-owned properties. The bill requires the Parks Department to develop manuals to increase biodiversity in its landscape practices. Maintaining biodiversity is critical to preserving our natural ecosystems. And, by maximizing the use of plant species that are native to New York City, there is less room for invasive, non-native plant species that are not suitable to the city\u2019s climate.<\/p>\n
These bills support the Green Codes Task Force recommendations, and their enactment will move the city forward in meeting PlaNYC goals.
\nBoth the stormwater retention and biodiversity guides will be made available online for the public to use.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis bill, which calls for the city Parks and Recreation Department to create a stormwater retention manual to identify plants and other materials to manage excess runoff from heavy rain events, is another important step towards realizing the ambitious goals set out in PlaNYC,\u201d said Council Member James F. Gennaro, Chair of the Environmental Protection Committee. \u201cIn Queens, we know the challenges of managing stormwater all too well. Several areas in our borough, and in the rest of our city, are prone to flooding with rainwater after heavy storms. This chronic flooding is due in large part to the massive transformation over the past 100 years of our city’s natural, vegetated landscape into a dense urban center where the concrete is impervious to rainwater. This piece of important legislation, made possible by the PlaNYC Sustainable Stormwater Management Plan passed in 2008, will help mitigate sewer overflows and flooding by identifying plants and other materials to absorb rainwater right where it falls, while also enhancing the local quality of life by beautifying the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Renewable Energy Systems Web Portal<\/p>\n
While the City has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030, a renewable energy web portal would help to promote the adoption of green energy systems, including solar, wind and geothermal. The portal is another way to help ensure that the City meets its goal by 2030.<\/p>\n
The web portal would inform the public about the feasibility and economic practicality of installing renewable energy resources in New York City. It will also provide resources with information including guidelines for installing green technologies and incentives for using them, as well as government agencies that must approve the installation of a renewable energy system.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goal with this legislation is to make renewable energy initiatives simple and accessible for everyday New Yorkers as they seek to cut energy costs and reduce greenhouse emissions,\u201d said Council Member Gennaro. \u201cThis web portal gives home and business owners a streamlined and easy-to-navigate resource to study the feasibility and economic benefits of renewable energy initiatives that reduce our carbon footprint and combat the disastrous effects of climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n
More Affordable Housing on Upper West Side<\/p>\n
The Council will approve the development of Durst 57, a new Upper West Side residential building that will include 172 affordable housing units or 20 percent of the total units for occupants with incomes no greater than 50 percent of the area median income.<\/p>\n
The developer, Durst Fetner, has also agreed to contribute $1 million toward an affordable housing fund, managed by the city\u2019s Department of Housing Preservation and Development that will promote the creation of affordable housing in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
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Bill would authorize study to examine relocating utility wires in vulnerable neighborhoods to be buried underground to keep New Yorkers safe during weather emergencies
\nNew York, NY- In a continued effort to strengthen the city\u2019s infrastructure following Hurricane Sandy, the City Council will vote to order a study examining the feasibility of relocating overhead power lines underground. The bill would require the Mayor\u2019s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability (OLTPS) to conduct the study in order to determine areas of the city where relocation would be most advantageous.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n