In an unusual alliance that includes the state’s Business Council, the Atlantic Chapter and other environmental groups, local residents and businesses are calling upon the Public Service Commission (PSC) to identify cost-effective solutions to retire the failing coal-fired power plants in Dunkirk and Cayuga rather than convert them to natural gas.
One less expensive option is a transmission upgrade that would increase efficiency by more effectively moving existing power generated in New York around the state.
“Our families and businesses have been paying to bail out this outdated [Cayuga] plant long enough. We can’t afford to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for more dirty fuels that put our families at risk from spiking electricity bills and even more costly extreme weather events,” said Sam Law, organizer with Shaleshock. “It’s time to turn New York toward a renewable energy future and it’s the PSC’s responsibility to investigate and choose the cleanest, safest and most affordable long-term options for our families.”
Currently, NYSEG electricity customers are on the hook for subsidizing operation of the outdated plant at a cost of $30 million a year. If the repowering proposal is approved, those same customers would be subsidizing construction of the new plant even though the facility would be much larger than what is needed to meet electricity demand in the region and would put them at risk from rising and volatile natural gas prices.
“This is an opportunity for New York to make a choice. We can stay stuck in the past with more costly and dangerous dirty fuels or invest in building a renewable energy future that will create jobs, grow our economy and ensure more stable and affordable electricity prices for our families. The choice for working families and local businesses is clear – transmission upgrades will bring us reliable power at a lower cost without locking us into decades of more expensive dirty fuels,” said Jennifer Tuttle, an organizer with the New York Beyond Coal Campaign.
Proponents of the transmission upgrades argue that there are better ways to assist towns and workers in the transition away from coal, including support from economic development agencies and the state.
“We’re calling on Governor Cuomo to step in and provide support for the communities and workers impacted by coal plant retirements, including funding, job training and economic development. We can do this right with help from the Governor so that towns have the resources they need to operate, and workers are treated with dignity and respect as these outdated plants are retired,” said Carol Chock, Tompkins County legislator.
Thousands of comments have been submitted to the PSC in support of the transmission upgrades needed to retire both the Cayuga and Dunkirk coal plants, including joint comments from the Sierra Club and New York Business Council, who both argued that transmission upgrades are the most affordable, reliable long-term option on the table.