Assemblywoman Russell sends letter to PSC backing plan to support upstate nuclear facilities

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, is urging the state's Public Service Commission to adopt a financial incentive structure that supports struggling upstate nuclear power plants for the next 12 years.

The state's PSC is expected to review a proposal that initially calls for $482 million to be provided to the upstate nuclear facilities. The proposal for support came from PSC staff in the wake of an announcement by Entergy Corp. that it plans to close its Fitzpatrick facility in Oswego County by January 2017.

The plant has 615 employees earning good wages and is critical to the regional economy. Low energy prices reportedly have resulted in annual losses in the $60 million range for the FitzPatrick facility alone.

Assemblywoman Russell said she was encouraged by the commission’s inclusion of a nuclear tier in the state's proposed Clean Energy Standards. She said the proposal calling for support for the upstate nuclear plants has her strong support.

" ... my constituents are aware of the need for reliable and affordable energy to maintain and attract business and residents to the region. Nuclear energy is a proven workhorse that is capable of providing a constant baseline in an era where we are increasingly relying on technology with built in ups and downs in electrical production that does not always match the demand," she wrote in a letter to the PSC.

"Maintaining our nuclear facilities is crucial to allowing our state to advance into a cleaner, greener future as we transition away from older, more polluting technologies," she added.

"This program doesn’t just make sense from an electricity production point of view, the proposal is also an economic win-win for Upstate New York," according to Assemblywoman Russell.

"In addition to avoiding the production of millions of tons of carbon dioxide annually, New York will retain about 2,600 jobs if the proposal moves forward. And by investing just under $1 bmillion into the ZEC program it is estimated that we will see a $4 billion net benefit to the state through property taxes, efficiencies, and by avoiding the damage done by the emission of carbon dioxide," she said in her letter to the PSC.

Assemblywoman Russell said she believes keeping the upstate nuclear facilities open is critical for the state to reach its goal of having 50 percent of all electricity consumed in the state come from clean, renewable sources by 2030.

Twenty six percent of the electricity used in the state currently comes from renewable energy sources, up from 19 percent in 2004.