Environmental

New Yorkers Demand Affordable Solution to Retire Coal Plants


Residents of Albany, Buffalo and Ithaca Delivered Thousands of Comments to PSC Urging Grid Upgrades Instead of Costly Conversion to Gas

Albany–(ENEWSPF)–August 15, 2013.  Today representatives of the Sierra Club, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates and Food & Water Watch delivered more than 3,200 comments to the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) at their August meeting. The comments from electricity customers across the state call for affordable, reliable long-term solutions to retire the Dunkirk and Cayuga coal plants in Western and Central New York.

“It’s not fair that our families here in Albany and across upstate could be on the hook to pay for an expensive and unnecessary new gas plant when updating our electricity grid would be more effective and affordable. We should be looking toward building a prosperous renewable energy economy in New York, not shackling our families to more risky gas plants,” said Roger Downs, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Representative.

The event gave residents of Buffalo, Dryden (near Ithaca) and Albany the opportunity to hand deliver comments just a day before the public comment period on the Dunkirk and Cayuga coal plants closes. The comments were received by James Denn, PSC Director of Public Affairs. Denn listened to brief statements by people concerned that families and businesses will be on the hook to pay for solutions to retire the uneconomical coal plants.

“I traveled from Buffalo to call for affordable solutions to retiring these coal plants and demand that Governor Cuomo help communities in that transition. The Governor can ensure towns receive financial assistance and economic development opportunities as our state moves away from coal and toward healthier renewable energy sources like wind and solar,” said Jennifer Tuttle, Sierra Club Organizing Representative from Buffalo.

National Grid electricity customers, including those in both Western New York and the Albany area will be stuck subsidizing whichever solution the PSC chooses, putting them at risk from rising and volatile natural gas costs and decades of paying off large subsidies for energy corporations. Transmission upgrades, which would move power more effectively and efficiently around the state, are by far the most affordable long-term option, costing as low as $25 million compared to more than $500 million to convert the Dunkirk plant to gas. Converting the plant to gas still wouldn’t solve all of the local reliability problems, so future transmission upgrades would still be likely in the future.

“We need Governor Cuomo to be a leader who helps communities move away from dirty coal and instead invest in healthier renewable energy sources that will create jobs and grow our economy. Our families can’t afford to bail out energy companies and subsidize expensive and unnecessary gas plants. We need the Governor and our energy regulators to invest in our future with innovative, efficient and reliable solutions that will make New York a national renewable energy leader,” said Downs.

Source: sierraclub.org

 


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