As Energy In Depth reported last week, New Yorkers are saving millions and experiencing improved health thanks to the state’s increased reliance on natural gas. A New York-based National Public Radio affiliate acknowledged the latter fact this week, reporting that since the state’s fracking ban was announced two years ago, “New Yorkers are using more natural gas than ever.” But the station somehow managed to manufacture a negative narrative out of this development — complete with input from thoroughly debunked anti-fracking activist professors Tony Ingraffea and Bob Howarth.

According to the WXXI-News report, more than 500,000 new businesses and residential consumers have made the conversion to natural gas in New York, resulting in an 18 percent increase in the state’s usage since 2014. In the response to this, the Howarth and Ingraffea told NPR:

“New Yorkers need to wake up,” Howarth said. “We’ve banned fracking, but we’re importing shale gas, and we need to take responsibility for that.”

The solution? According to Ingraffea,

“New York has ample resources to do a complete transition to renewable energy in our lifetimes,” he said. “And it just takes a little bit more political will.”

Fortunately, WXII did offer some much-needed context and realism in response to this. Jon Sorenson, spokesman for the Public Service Commission — which developed New York’s plan to be 50 percent renewable by 2030—told WXXI that even a 50 percent renewable conversion would be “ambitious,” and added:

“As much as we would like to, we cannot snap our fingers and build the infrastructure nor find the billions of dollars needed to become 100 percent renewable overnight.”

Und...