Preliminary Work Permit At Controversial Power Plant Approved

ASTORIA, QUEENS — NRG Energy, an energy company, got approval to build test piles and a temporary office trailer for eventual construction of a power plant. The proposed power plant remains unapproved by the state and strongly opposed by many elected officials and neighbors.

At the end of August, the city’s Department of Buildings approved an alteration at 21-25 13 Avenue in Astoria, the site of NRG’s fossil fueled peaker plant, which it is seeking state approval to replace with a new natural gas-fired generator.

The alteration was described in the work permit as “preliminary work to include test piles and [a] temporary office trailer for construction of [a] power plant to be filed under separate applications.” Test piles are a way for developers to learn more about the ground, in order to figure out what could be built at the site.

The Buildings Department told Patch that the agency assesses if development plans comply with the city’s construction codes and zoning regulations, and approves projects that fully comply. (In practice, however, the agency has historically struggled to adhere to these guidelines.)

In the instance of NRG’s pre-construction application, the Buildings Department said that it is “common” for developers to get approval and permits for preliminary site work.

“The approval for preliminary site work does not mean approvals have been issued for larger construction projects on those same sites,” the agency said in a written statement to Patch, suggesting that NRG’s pre-construction activities aren’t an approval of its disputed power plant plans.

On the fossil fuel company’s part, NRG spokesman Dave Schrader told Patch in a written statement that the preliminary work permit is part of NRG’s next steps towards “actively preparing the site for the start of [the Astoria Replacement Project’s] construction.”

He cited the urgency of building the natural gas-fired plant — which he says would reduce greenhouse gases, improve grid reliability, and boost the economy — as a reason why the company is trying to get the site ready for construction, including “demolishing existing generating units and associated equipment.”

According to Schrader the test piles are “not directly associated with the construction of the replacement project,” which, as he puts it, remains under “rigorous environmental review” by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, or NYSDEC.

The NYSDEC is currently holding a public comment period on NRG’s proposed power plant plan through Sept. 13 and a final decision about the plant isn’t expected for another several months.

When asked about the approval of this pre-construction permit, despite the fact that the agency is still reviewing NRG’s proposed fracked gas plan, the NYSDEC told Patch — as the Buildings Department said — that the permit doesn’t allow NRG to operate its proposed plant.

“To operate the facility as proposed, the DEC Title V permit would need to be issued and the SEQR [environmental review] process would need to be completed, even with the issuance of NYC Department of Building approvals or any other local authorizations needed,” the NYSDEC said in a written statement.

The agency added that it encourages people to submit comments on NRG’s proposed plant by Sept. 13, and that it will take comments into consideration before making a final decision on the company’s proposal.

The first hearings, on Aug. 26, elicited strong opposition from more than 50 advocates, including elected officials and local neighbors, the Queens Post reported.

Speakers said that the plant would harm the health of local residents — who already bear the brunt of power plants’ impact in Astoria — and would worsen climate change.

“Approving the Astoria NRG fracked gas power plant application will only delay New York’s progress in fighting the global climate crisis and meeting our climate goals,” said Eric Wood, Regional Coordinator with NYPIRG.

Many others said that the plant doesn’t comply with the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), a law that mandates carbon emissions reductions over the next few decades. State Senator Michael Gianaris, who represents northwest Queens and helped pass the CLCPA, agrees with critics.

An NRG spokesperson, however, told the Queens Post that the plan is in line with the CLCPA, and that “hundreds” of letters of support have been submitted to the NYSDEC.

The plan recently came up at President Biden’s Tuesday news conference in East Elmhurst, where climate activists protested, demanding the Green New Deal and fossil divestment — with some citing opposition to the plant as an example of what investing in fossil-free infrastructure looks like.

The NYSDEC is accepting public comments through Sept. 13 at comment.nrgastoriagas@dec.ny.gov, and is specifically seeking comments that address how the proposed fracked gas plant complies with the state’s climate laws and goals.