OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Town of Hanover Supervisor Lou Pelletter shared a series of historical examples of disasters that could have catastrophic consequences if similar instances were to occur without the use of natural gas as an energy option for residents in New York State.

HANOVER — Municipalities across Western New York have been showing their support for recent legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy and state Sen. George Borrello in recent weeks, opposing state-mandated natural gas bans eyed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The latest to jump on board is the town of Hanover, and its leader, Lou Pelletter, has a unique perspective as to why he “firmly supports” residents having the right to use natural gas as an energy source in their homes.

“I think it’s an absolute disaster to go completely electric,” Pelletter said..

In addition to serving as Supervisor of the town of Hanover, Pelletter is a former police chief and the historian for the village of Silver Creek. Pelletter cited past disasters dating back more than 200 years as examples as to why relying solely on electric heating in homes is a dangerous idea.

Pelletter referenced the “year without a summer” of 1816, when cold temperatures nearly wiped out the early Silver Creek settlement. Additionally, floods and wind storms in 1848 and 1886 wiped out a good portion of the coastal area in the region, which Pelletter said “would devastate our electrical grid” if similar occurrences were to happen again.

In the early spring of 1976, an ice storm shut down the entire electrical grid in Silver Creek, including the transformer at the power station. It sent the Village on a rush to replace the transformer, which could have taken 2-3 weeks had an alternative solution not been found. Pelletter now fears that a similar outage at a power station, requiring a major transformer replacement, would leave residents without power for a substantial period of time.

“I’m a firm believer that if it wasn’t for natural gas, a lot of these houses would’ve froze,” Pelletter said.

Pelletter also referenced the blizzard of 1977, which heavily impacted western New York, and the blizzard of 1978, which struck the New York City and Long Island area. Both instances resulted in many deaths statewide, as residents were often trapped in homes without power or stranded in vehicles. A similar disaster happened in 2022 when a storm struck Buffalo, resulting in 47 deaths in Erie County.

“If you didn’t have an alternative during those times, you were in trouble,” Pelletter said of the disasters in the 1970s. From that point on, Pelletter began burning wood because he vowed to never sit in a dark, cold home again.

Finally, Pelletter referenced the Carrington Event, the most intense geomagnetic storm on record. In September of 1859, a massive solar flare struck earth, leading to the disruption of the electric systems at the time. While it is difficult to predict when the next major solar flare could occur, even minor events similar in nature could cause for a disruption to electrical systems.

“To eliminate wood, gas, and propane, I believe is a disaster,” Pelletter said in conclusion of what he called a dissertation.

The Town Board issued a resolution in support of Congressman Nick Langworthy’s Energy Choice Act and in opposition to government-mandated natural gas bans. The resolution defined natural gas as “a dependable, cost-effective, and clean-burning energy source used by millions of New Yorkers to heat their homes, cook their food, and power their businesses.” The Town Board urges congress to pass the Energy Choice Act “to defend consumer choice, protect energy affordability, and preserve reliable access to natural gas for New Yorkers.”

The Board will also submit a letter of support for New York State Senate Bill S.8481. The bill, sponsored by State Senator Patrick Gallivan and co-sponsored by State Senator George Borrello, authorizes local governments to opt out of mandates and benchmarks arising under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and associated universal electrification requirements by filing a resolution with the Department of Environmental Conservation.

In his “strong support”, Pelletter emphasized the “very important” principles of home rule, which allows local governments to make decisions that reflect the unique needs of the residents and businesses of their own communities, rather than relying on statewide mandates.

The Town of Sheridan has also supported both items of legislation, while the Town of Dunkirk and the Village of Silver Creek have also supported Congressman Langworthy’s bill.