Abstract
This Note examines New York’s climate goals under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) by comparing two pivotal energy solutions: nuclear energy and microgrids. Microgrids remain notably underexplored in legal scholarship, particularly their potential to achieve compliance with the CLCPA. By analyzing the economic, environmental, regulatory, and public perception challenges associated with nuclear energy and microgrids, this Note argues that microgrids offer a safer, more flexible, and sustainable option for accelerating New York’s path toward its green energy future. This Note evaluates microgrid projects across New York, along with common critiques regarding the scalability and viability of hybrid approaches, such as integrating Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The discussion also addresses the potential long-term role of nuclear fusion in supplementing microgrid infrastructure. Finally, the Note surveys current regulatory incentives and legal obstacles associated with microgrid deployment and contends that New York’s policy and regulatory framework should prioritize microgrids as the foundation for meeting its renewable energy objectives.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Justin R. Ochs,
Comparing Microgrids with Nuclear Energy: Which is Better to Catapult New York Toward its Green Energy Future?,
66
Nat. Res. J.
44
(2026).
Available at:
https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nrj/vol66/iss1/4
