Weighing complexities of the chip fab plans

“Chip fab surge challenges the state’s climate targets,” Jan. 15, suggests that New York, in its urgency to attract jobs coming from semiconductor manufacturing, may be guilty of greenwishing, if not greenwashing.

Though microchip production is even more energy-ravenous than cryptocurrency mines, the governor persists in invoking the phrase “Green CHIPS.” But because we don’t yet have enough solar- and windgenerated energy in the grid, it’s hard to see how these plants can function at the level they need to and remain green.

While Zach G. Smith of the nonprofit Independent System Operator worries about our energy supply with “reliability margins narrowing to concerning levels as early as 2023,” Kristin Devoe, a spokeswoman for New York state Empire Development Agency, emphasizes “nearly 50,000 jobs and $100 billion in investment — with a commitment to aggressive sustainability standards.”

Meanwhile, the industry’s so-called “aggressive sustainability standards” are being set by the industry itself. The state has no mechanism to ensure that targets are met.

This doesn’t appear a case of one side tricking the other; it’s looking at the gap between aspiration and accomplishment and drawing separate conclusions. Yet the bottom line is that we have no choice but to leap over that gap. Greenhouse gas emissions cause cascading, lethal climate events that require those who can do something to curb climate change to act.

By reporting on the difficulties and complications that lie ahead as we take this leap, the Times Union is doing a service for us all.

Christine Arroyo Carmel