Long Island will get around half its energy from offshore wind resources by 2030 and customers will begin paying around 2% more per year in their power supply charge as more green-energy makes its way onto the local and state grids by that time, according to a new power-resource analysis by LIPA and PSEG. Mark Harrington reports on Newsday.com that the analysis foresees an oversized reliance on an energy source in offshore wind that has yet to make its way onto the local grid as 2024 approaches. But LIPA officials say the road map for a quick ramp-up is in place, along with aggressive plans for more solar, battery storage and even technologies that are under development — some that could extend the life of fossil fuel plants.

“It’s basically a handful of wind farms that need to get built” in seven years, said LIPA chief executive Tom Falcone, who added the customer costs were "manageable" and the time frame "not impossible," if somewhat flexible. “If it happens by 2031 versus 2029 it probably doesn’t change anything we’re doing."

The analysis comes as offshore wind in the United States is facing a crisis of cost and as big European wind-farm developers are recording sizable impairment charges tied to their investments while seeking higher rates for energy. Already, Denmark-based Orsted, which is developing the soon-to-be completed South Fork Wind Farm, has canceled two much larger wind farms planned for New Jersey, and it still hasn’t made a final decision on whether it will move forward with Sunrise Wind, a project designed to bring 924-megawatts to Long Island by 2025.

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New York State education officials are considering ditching the Regents exam as a graduation requirement for high school students, leading to some education advocates accusing them of dumbing down standards. Carl Campanile and Chris Nesi of THE NY POST report that the New York State Education Department yesterday presented the Board of Regents with the recommendations on graduation measures — which included giving students the option of taking the Regents exam to graduate.

Mona Davids of the NYC Parents Union said moving away from the Regents exam requirements to earn a diploma signifies an insulting lack of faith in the abilities of students of color.

“This is a continuation of the soft bigotry of low expectations from our black and Hispanic students,” said Davids, who was part of a 2014 lawsuit challenging New York’s tenure laws that shield ineffective teachers from losing their jobs.

If implemented, the move would mark a significant shift in state education policy, which has required high schoolers to take and pass the Regents exams before earning their diplomas for more than a century. The State Education Department’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures was convened in September 2022 to improve educational outcomes while ensuring New York’s students were being adequately prepared for the rigors of the modern workforce. The commission’s recommendations claim that success after high school can’t necessarily be measured by any one test.

John Hildebrand reports on Newsday.com that the "blue ribbon" panel would keep the three-hour exams as diploma requirements, at least for many students. But there would be other options as well. For example, students could get credit for graduation through less traditional "performance-based" assessments — say, writing research papers or delivering oral reports in class.

Guidelines for performance assessments would be developed by teachers and approved by the state. This approach is controversial, because it has been tried in other states such as Vermont, and has proved difficult to apply on a uniform basis from one school district to another.

The commission also recommends eliminating the state's current system of awarding three types of diplomas, determined largely by the number of exams students pass.

Proponents of changing the existing system said combining standardized exams with performance tests was superior to use of exams alone, while critics worried changes could lower standards.

Monday's review is the latest development in an ongoing debate over the state's diploma standards that began more than four years ago, and included whether Regents exams should be retained as requirements.

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Red Ribbon Week for the Sag Harbor School District is a longtime tradition, teaching students about healthier life choices. Every year, the students explore workshops on various topics and hear from various leaders on the importance of living drug free and prioritizing a healthy lifestyle. As reported on 27east.com, this year, the middle school students met with Sag Harbor Village Mayor Thomas Gardella to discuss a village proclamation for Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is one of the nation’s largest drug prevention awareness programs. It’s celebrated the last week of October and the theme for this year was “be kind to your mind.” Class discussions on different techniques to live a healthier lifestyle, such as paying attention to what one puts in their bodies and how this affects how one functions and performs, as well as the lasting affects drugs can have on the brain, were common topics.

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An environmental group has launched a pilot program to create its first biannual report card on the ecological health of South Shore bays from Hempstead to Shinnecock. Brianne Ledda reports on Newsaday.com that the nonprofit Save the Great South Bay is developing protocols that collaborating water quality agencies will use to collect data in the bays, and will present the information using letter grades, said Robyn Silvestri, executive director of the nonprofit.

“The reason that we want to create a report card is because there’s so much water quality data out there, but for the everyday person, like me, it’s very hard to say, is this good? Or is this not good?” said Ms. Silvestri. “If somebody was able to translate that data and say … this area of the bay gets an A, then I know — an A is good.”

Silvestri said the first report card is planned for 2025. The report, which is modeled after the system used by Save the Sound, will start with four to six sites and expand over time.

Patti Wood, founder and executive director of the Port Washington-based Grassroots Environmental Education, said she likes the initiative, especially if it standardizes water monitoring.

She said, however, it's important to link the data with human activities. That is of “real value, so that people can make better choices" for the environment, she said.

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, similarly said water quality testing is welcomed, but cautioned that the study should assess trends over time.

“The study needs to be done very carefully to really assess trends and reflect a picture of accuracy about what’s happening,” she said. “A robust number of sites need to be included.”

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Hate crime and terrorism investigations have increased “exponentially” since last month’s Hamas’ attack on Israel, a high-ranking state police official said alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul yesterday. Vaughn Golden reports in THE NY POST that Lt. Col. Andy Crowe, assistant deputy superintendent of the NYS Police Office of Counter Terrorism, said law enforcement is tracking a wave of threats, many on social media and other online platforms. “I can tell you that the number has increased exponentially since Oct. 7, the number of investigations we’re involved in, as an entity of the state police and the Joint Terrorism Task Force,” stated Lt. Col. Crowe. Governor Hochul convened a meeting of Jewish religious leaders and law enforcement personnel Monday. She said she’s assigning additional state police investigators to work with federal anti-terrorism agencies around the state. Hochul has been making efforts to reach out to the Jewish community in the weeks since Oct. 7, visiting Israel, speaking at a synagogue and meeting with students who were threatened at Cornell University. She also said Monday she has “no tolerance for hate and violence against anyone,” acknowledging threats against Muslims as well.

“We’ve not seen this level of hate crimes and fear since September 12, 2001,” Hochul said, likening the recent wave of antisemitism to crimes against the Muslim community after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Hochul also called on New Yorkers to continue reporting possible hate crimes. “If you’ve been violated, you’ve been harassed, physically, verbally, you have to let us know so we can step up and protect you.”