Opinion

Energy Weak

This is Energy Week for New York, and as the gathering of power companies, regulators and others in the industry comes to a close, we notice one thing missing: any discussion of nuclear power.

It’s an odd omission, given that Indian Point Energy Center — a nuclear plant Gov. Cuomo wants closed — accounts for about a quarter of the city’s electricity.

Problem is, this plant is also a big reason why our state’s air is the cleanest it’s been in 50 years, according to independent experts at the city Department of Environmental Protection.

The advantage of nuclear power is that it is clean, efficient and relatively inexpensive. The same DEP says that without Indian Point, New York will see a significant increase in pollutants and a 15 percent increase in carbon emissions.

Of course, if you don’t like nuclear, an alternative source for greener energy might be natural gas. But not in New York, though we sit over the Marcellus Shale, a large and mostly untapped source.

So even as President Obama touts fracking, the new technology that would allow us to extract this natural gas, New York dithers. That leaves nuclear as a clean option. But, ­apparently, New York isn’t even up to an honest discussion of this.

The reality is, if we don’t open the state to fracking and won’t consider nuclear, New York’s going to have higher prices, dirtier skies and less reliable sources of energy.