Website Comment Summary
Comments submitted for this goal provide diverse perspectives on improving energy supply, efficiency, and infrastructure, with particular focus on renewable power, energy efficiency, and energy conservation. Many are pessimistic about the city's ability to markedly improve its energy position without substantial tax incentives or stricter energy ordinances. Proposals in this category frequently overlap with the ideas of those responding to the climate change goal, and many also address the air quality and congestion goals in advocating more efficient vehicles.

Most comments advocate for the implementation of renewable energy technologies. Specific technologies encouraged (and number recommending each) include solar roofs, coastal wind, building or park-based wind, and tidal or wave power. Other comments encourage the development of distributed fuel cells to provide energy supplies.

On the demand side, many comments center on the promotion of energy efficiency initiatives. These include the development of green roofs, mandatory green building requirements and retrofitting standards, and the creation of decentralized water treatment and rain storage facilities in large buildings. Recommended incentives to encourage this conservation include "smart metering" schemes, methods of creating clear incentives for energy conservation, and the taxation of inefficient consumer products such as incandescent bulbs. Several comments recommended that the city prevent businesses from running air conditioning with their doors open to reduce summer peak energy demand.

A comparatively small number of comments directly address the infrastructure-upgrade component of the goal. Of responses that do, most encourage the adoption of district heating and cooling schemes, decentralized energy generation, and pollution and efficiency improvements to existing power plants, such as promoting cogeneration.

Town Hall Comment Summary
Increase Sustainable Energy Alternatives
Participants in all boroughs showed tremendous support for the city's diversification to renewable and other alternative energy sources, with numerous calls for exploring, incentivizing or expanding the City's use of solar, wind, tidal, hydro, geothermal, biomass, waste conversion, biodiesel, and cogeneration technologies. Several support the development of distributed generation (using some of the aforementioned technologies as well as fuel cells). One discussion group suggested "explore nuclear energy" while another remarked "don't consider nuclear energy."
Ideas provided to effect or encourage such diversification included: allow consumers to purchase green power through Con Ed, allow for net metering (including commercial net metering), place solar collectors on street lights, and expand tax credits for solar power.

Promote Energy Conservation and Efficiency
Numerous participants from Brooklyn and Manhattan emphasized the need to "promote energy efficiency everywhere" and identify suitable conservation practices. Shared remarks were directed at more efficient lighting (e.g., "use LEDs or CFLs for street lighting," "incorporate smart controls"), heating/cooling (e.g., "make a law against air conditioning waste," "retrofit thermostats for tenant control of utilities") and appliances ("subsidize use of energy efficient appliances"). Several suggested reducing peak electricity demand and incorporating energy-efficient green building practices into construction requirements.

Miscellaneous
Several suggestions were made regarding each of these three issues: (1) Upgrade the electric grid, re-power old power plants, and update the grid with advanced, cleaner, more efficient technology. (2) Consider environmental justice issues such as more equitable power plant siting and assistance to small and/or immigrant businesses that are disproportionately harmed by blackouts. (3) Ameliorate air pollution caused by power plants by penalizing polluting power producers and retrofitting power plants to meet clean air standards.

Community Leader Comment Summary
Increase Sustainable Energy Alternatives: Renewable Energy, Distributed Generation
Community leaders showed tremendous support for the city's diversification to sustainable energy alternatives, with specific reference to distributed generation in general, solar, waste conversion to power, wind, tidal, cogeneration, and geothermal. Ideas provided to effect or encourage such diversification included: implement net metering and smart metering programs, provide incentives or establish DG requirements to developers/consumers, and amend zoning laws and building codes.

Promote Energy Conservation and Efficiency
Leaders throughout the boroughs supported energy conservation and efficiency programs, with specific references to promote green building ("encourage green housing as a means to reduce electricity consumption"), high efficiency "retail technology" and appliance standards, and "more public education and outreach for conservation". A suggestion was made to "turn off lights in office buildings at night."

Improve Existing Power Infrastructure/Administration
With regards to the existing power infrastructure, several suggestions were made to upgrade the power grid and to retrofit, re-power, or retire existing power plants. Individual considerations raised included: "don't build anymore power plants near residential areas," "don't forget environmental justice and health concerns when building new plants," "work with state to reduce in-city power generation requirements," "increase recycling programs," and "advocate for electric public transport and cars."