The right call on Port Ambrose
Ryder Moore-Lukaszewski, 9, of Long Beach, joined other opponents of the Port Ambrose liquified natural gas transfer station, proposed 17 miles south of Long Beach, as they gathered on the Long Beach boardwalk just before sunset, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015. Credit: Danielle Finkelstein
After he nixed fracking in New York last year, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's decision last week to kill the proposed Port Ambrose liquefied natural gas terminal 19 miles off Jones Beach was not surprising. It was also the right call. The best of the many reasons he cited for opposing the controversial project was the need to prioritize renewable energy over fossil fuels. The terminal was pitched for part of the same area as a proposed major wind farm capable of powering 700,000 homes. Cuomo also noted the potential environmental damage that could be caused by storms, the possibility the terminal would be a terrorist target, and the damage to commercial squid and scallop fishing.
But the lasting significance of his action would be if it signals a real commitment to weaning off fossil fuels and moving forward on renewable energy.
