The Long Island Power Authority has flipped the switch on a new underwater power cable called Neptune, which will bring 660 megawatts of power to Long Island from New Jersey and points west.

A report in Newsday says that LIPA had already saved ratepayers $3.6 million in energy costs from the preliminary tests of the Neptune power cable. Estimates from LIPA suggest that the cable will lower energy costs and save ratepayers billions over the lifespan of the cable.

LIPA says it decided not to sign a long-term deal for electricity from a power plant connected to the cable network, deciding instead to purchase power on the spot from various power plants. The cheapest power LIPA can buy comes from coal burning power plants in Pennsylvania.

Ashok Gupta, of the newly created Renewable Energy Task Force, is imploring LIPA to not purchase power from power plants that create carbon emissions. He is recommending LIPA to create an "emissions performance standard" for energy sent through the Neptune cable.