By Yaakov Milstein

If the Russians had anything to do with rigging the U.S. election, did they get the results they were hoping for? Maybe by successfully raising allegations of a Trump-Putin collusion, Putin has created extra tension within internal U.S. politics, destabilizing our nation. However, President Trump has been pushing back, building U.S. support abroad.

Last week, thousands of Polish nationals greeted President Donald J. Trump with great respect and admiration. They cheered him on as if he were one of their own beloved national heroes. As many have reported, the president may have delivered the best speech of his career.

The president called Poland the “soul of Europe” and the overall tone of his speech was described by political pundits as a Reagan-like speech. One thing was made clear: there is a new sheriff in town.

The president echoed John F. Kennedy’s famous statement “Let them come to Berlin” with “Let them come to Poland,” pointing out that Poland and America have many values in common.

So besides all the flattering compliments, is there a bigger strategic play unfolding in front of us? Is the president attempting to solve one of Central Europe’s and the world’s biggest problems, Russia?

President Trump has pitched European leaders to buy U.S.-produced natural gas. This plan is now called the Three Seas Initiative. By pushing Russia’s energy relevance out of the equation, this changes the region’s dynamics.

Don’t be fooled: this is a big deal. Russia’s is an energy-based economy. With Russia already having a depressed economic state, without energy income, this may devastate the country–setting them back decades.

In recent years, Russia has been flexing its muscles by invading Crimea and controlling many of the surrounding Central European countries, like Poland. These countries heavily depend on Russia’s energy supply. Russia constantly threatens to cut off all energy supplies in the cold winter, freezing their citizens.

While the undercurrents of the world superpowers couldn’t be more unsettled, Russia demonstrated bold provocative actions, such as declaring no-fly zones in Syria and flying MiG fighter jets as close as 5 feet away from U.S. military surveillance aircraft. Russia’s backing of Syria’s President Bashar Assad and selling advanced weaponry to Hezbollah terrorist groups and Iran provoked the U.S. to send its largest naval aircraft carrier to the region, docking near the Israeli city of Haifa just last week.

Putting America first, President Trump has taken full advantage of Putin’s tough attitude by making Putin pay for his unresponsiveness to America’s longstanding requests for Russia’s cooperation. Now it seems Putin is getting a taste of his own medicine. It seems that President Trump may have just “schooled” Putin by invading the European energy market and signing a huge energy deal to export large quantities of natural gas to Central Europe, thus threatening to dominate the market and undercut Russian sales.

What will this do for energy costs back home? Will the prices of natural gas and electricity skyrocket? It has been projected that by the year 2020, New York utility companies will not be able to keep up with the demand for energy. Con Edison is one utility that has been consistently able to get the public commissioner’s approval for electricity rate increase due to the cost of infrastructure upgrades.

ConEd is now negotiating to add in a new demand charge–a charge for backup electricity production, even if it is not actually used by the consumer. To homeowners it seems that there is still an infinite amount of infrastructure work needed for New York’s electric grids, wiring, and gas piping. Every project gets paid for by us! By shipping our natural gas abroad, we are increasing production–which is great for the U.S., but just like any product, the greater the demand, the greater the cost.

New Yorkers are already paying some of the highest energy rates in the nation and the general cost of living keeps increasing. What can we do? Did you know there are New York State programs that help homeowners lower their energy costs? By providing a subsidized 5-year, 0% financing funding option for energy-efficiency home improvements such as Energy Star-rated windows, upgraded A/C and heating systems, and spray-foam insulation.

Many New York homes are poorly constructed and have real comfort issues, in both winter and summer. Most homes attics have depleted fiberglass insulation that is not doing much to protect the home from the heat penetrating in from the sun. Ventilation systems in the attic designed to cool it off are not effective and are actually counterproductive in the winter–allowing the heat to escape right out the top of the home, like a chimney. New York State sponsors a free home inspection conducted by a BPI (Building Performance Institute) accredited energy auditor, who will use advanced technology to test the home for energy efficiency and diagnose the problem.

Most New Yorkers don’t know these funds exist or think they are too good to be true. This is one of the fastest-growing new industries in America. The government has been spending billions of dollars a year in these efforts as part of a national energy strategy.

But as President Trump ships our natural gas abroad for important strategic alliances, we should protect our families’ energy budget locally by making sure our homes are not just letting heated or cooled air escape. We wouldn’t keep our refrigerator door wide open or stand outside on a cool winter day without wearing a warm coat. So why would you let all that expensive energy be wasted in your home? Using less energy is smart, especially before prices skyrocket.

J Synergy Green is one of New York’s biggest “green construction” companies, having helped over 550 homeowners make their homes more comfortable and efficient, all funded through state programs.

People don’t realize how easy it is to access these funds. It is important to spread the word–specifically when many home-improvement projects have been neglected due to lack of funds.

Every homeowner should at least sign up for a no-cost home energy audit to see what home improvement projects make sense for them. They can take advantage of the new secured $10 million in funds with 0% financing now offered. If the cost of energy doubles in the years ahead, you will be ready!

Yaakov Milstein is the president of J Synergy Green, a 2014 US Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency award winner. To learn more, visit JsynergyGreen.com.

 

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