Record-smashing cold snap proves why New York still needs renewable biofuels
The historic run of bitter cold and record-shattering snow drifts across the state has prompted a moment of reckoning when it comes to New York’s energy conversation. When the Arctic air settles and the snow piles up, all-renewable electrification simply isn’t well-positioned to step up to the plate. An all-of-the-above approach is necessary to provide New Yorkers with reliable heat and power in these types of scenarios.
During these hours of intense energy stress, it wasn’t slow-moving all-electric promises that kept us warm — it was the liquid heating fuels industry which served as an essential backstop that prevented the extreme weather from becoming a catastrophe.
Dual-fuel generation consistently accounted for over one-third of the state’s energy usage during the late-January deep freeze, according to the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), as electric generators competed with building owners for available natural gas. Renewables struggled to crack 5 percent, a stark contrast that revealed a critical vulnerability in the state’s strategy to decarbonize the grid.
Meanwhile, the federal government waived certain requirements to allow all power generators to run at maximum capacity, the kind of need that would likely arise more frequently in the years ahead if our electric system becomes “winter peaking” and demand doubles amid the state’s plans to move more New Yorkers to electric heat pumps and vehicles.
However, the role of liquid fuels extends beyond just large-scale power generation and is equally vital to keeping homes and businesses warm.
While the broader industry worked to ensure the reliability of the grid, our everyday local suppliers kicked their efforts into overdrive to deliver renewable biofuels. By blending these low-carbon fuels into traditional supplies, they provided a critical backstop for homes and business owners who, even in cases when they rely on traditional boilers as a back-up to electric or gas systems, needed additional resources to keep warm.
There was no better case made for the all-of-the-above energy approach than in these past few weeks (and with more cold blowing in); nor was there a better case for including here-and-now solutions in that mix.
Ignoring the true potential of practical tools available to reduce emissions today like biofuels, risks a scenario where our energy system becomes overtaxed, under-resourced, and prone to failure exactly when New Yorkers are most vulnerable — and when they can quite literally least afford higher costs because their energy choices are limited.
The reality is that renewable biofuels are New York’s backbone on these coldest days. We are delivering a cleaner product today by utilizing advanced renewable feedstocks — like restaurant grease, animal fats, and waste vegetable oil — that slash emissions without requiring homeowners to rip out and replace their existing heating systems. That delivers the best-of-both-worlds solution the state is seeking right now, lowering emissions while protecting against expensive capital costs for those who can’t afford them.
The renewable liquid fuels industry is constantly evolving and can and will continue to improve so that for decades to come, we remain a pillar of the state’s energy system. However, we cannot sustain this progress alone.
The state should pursue policies that would continue to increase the blending of renewable fuels, and to expand the blending requirements to include both renewable diesel and biodiesel under the state’s bioheating law. This will expand the marketplace for renewables and accelerate the transition away from traditional heating oil, giving homeowners multiple clean-energy pathways without requiring prohibitive upfront system replacement costs.
These common-sense measures will support energy demand — especially at times of peak need — bolstering grid reliability, helping keep household costs lower, and continuing progress toward climate goals. While resources like nuclear that would support increased electrification are important components of the long-term conversation, they do not change the immediate reality that New York needs proven solutions to survive the winter.
By embracing and incentivizing renewable biofuel adoption, we can help ensure New Yorkers don’t have to think twice about the one thing they should rightly expect in the dead of winter: a warm home.
Kris DeLair is Executive Director of the Empire State Energy Association, Inc., Rocco J. Lacertosa is CEO of the New York State Energy Coalition, Inc.
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