David Alicea
Photo: New York Beyond Coal activists table at a recent fair.
More than 70 elected officials in New York sent a letter to Governor Cuomo this week calling on him to stop bailing out old coal plants and instead responsibly transition the state to clean energy.
Under Governor Cuomo’s administration, aging, unprofitable coal plants have received new life via some major money from the state, and proposals have even been floated for some "zombie" coal plants to come out of retirement and burn dirty fuel again. For example, since January 2013 the Cayuga coal-fired power plant near Ithaca has been receiving over $4 million per month in ratepayer subsidies to continue burning coal, and is now is vying for an additional $145 million bailout.
New York is the only state in the country that is currently considering bringing back coal plants from the grave once they have already been retired, undermining significant progress on climate and clean air in the state.
New York Beyond Coal representative David Alicea says Wednesday's letter from so many state officials represents a positive sea change for clean energy in the Empire State.
"This letter represents more than one-third of New York State's legislators, who represent more than eight million people," said Alicea. "In a state that has been racked by extreme weather events like Superstorm Sandy, it's clear that our state legislators get it. We need to act on climate and getting off coal is an important first step in meeting our carbon reduction goals."
The letter was led by New York Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton of the state's 125th district, who said rate-payers should not be on the hook for the millions it would take to prop up dirty coal.
"Given that we are lagging in our battle against climate change, and renewable energy is now competitive with outdated and dirty fossil fuels, we simply cannot ask New Yorkers to pay for energy that damages our climate and our health,” said Assemblywoman Lifton. “In every major decision we make about energy and the environment, we have to use our resources to move us as quickly as possible to a renewable energy future if we are to protect our children and future generations."
Councilwoman Irene Weiser of the town of Caroline agreed that customers cannot foot the bill. "Right now Governor Cuomo's policies are impacting the people in my town that I represent and New Yorkers across the state – who already pay the highest electric rates in the continental U.S. – to pay millions of dollars additional every month to bail-out unnecessary coal-fired power plants," she said.
Alicea said the Governor's coal bailout policy sets a dangerous precedent. Because New York's infrastructure is aging and as renewable energy is ramped up, fossil fuel plants are going to face tough economics that will only get worse as time goes by.
"This is the time to be figuring out how to responsibly transition workers and communities instead of giving hundreds of millions of dollars to big polluters," he said.
Assemblywoman Lifton echoed Alicea's comments. "As we transition from the old to new energy systems, we must provide adequate supports for the affected communities and workers; that is a critical part of making this very big change fair and workable for all New Yorkers," she said.
We couldn't agree more. A good transition is one that not only ensures that workers and communities can maintain their standard of living, said Alicea, but have a chance to benefit from the renewable energy revolution. The Sierra Club will continue to help ensure that there is the political support and resources to help these communities transition.