NY AREA Tells State Assembly Their Indian Point Findings 'Ring False'

The following was released by the New York Affordable Reliablie Electricity Alliance on Feb. 10:

The New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (New York AREA), representing the state’s leading business, community, and labor organizations, today strongly urged members of the New York State Assembly Committee on Energy and the Assembly Standing Committee on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions to reconsider their “preliminary findings,” issued via February 1, on the effects of closing the

In a letter to committee chairmen Kevin Cahill and James Brennan, New York AREA members express their strong disagreement with the committees’ assessment.  The letter, signed by leaders of organizations which employ tens of thousands of New Yorkers, states, “We find the ‘preliminary findings’ that Indian Point Energy Center could close with little impact on ratepayers and reliability particularly troubling because, in our opinion, it fails to take into account the hours of testimony provided by NYISO, Con Ed officials, and the Charles River Associates at the January 12 committee hearing.” Charles River Associates is a nationally-renowned firm hired by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection to conduct a study on the effects of closing Indian Point.

The letter also restates the findings of numerous studies conducted over several years to determine the economic, grid reliability, and environmental impacts of shutting down Indian Point.  Those studies show that Indian Point’s closure would result in a $10 billion to $12 billion increase in energy costs for New York State consumers, the loss of 12,000 jobs in the Hudson Valley region, and an approximately 15% increase in carbon emissions.

New York AREA urges the committees to take a deliberate and careful look at the information provided to them by leading energy experts and to utilize this information to reconsider their preliminary findings.  Shutting down Indian Point would have a dramatic impact on both electric rates and system reliability in New York.

The organizations signing the letter include:

§  African American Environmentalist Association

§  Boilermakers Local 5

§  Bronx Chamber of Commerce

§  The Business Council of New York State

§  The Business Council of Westchester

§  Dr. Matthew Cordaro, former CEO, Midwest Independent System Operator

§  Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation

§  Independent Power Producers of New York, Inc.

§  Insulators Local 12

§  Nassau and Suffolk Building Trades

§  National Federation of Independent Business (New York State)

§  New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (New York AREA)

§  Rockland Business Association

§  Westchester County Association

 Key excerpts of testimony at the January 12 hearing, the video of which is provided by the State of New York (used by New York AREA for issues education purposes only), can be seen at: http://area-alliance.org/index.php/new-york-state-assembly/.

About New York AREA:  Founded in November 2003, the New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (New York AREA) is a diverse group of more than 150 business, labor, and community groups whose mission and purpose is to ensure that New York metropolitan area has an ample and reliable electricity supply, and economic prosperity for years to come.  Entergy, the owner of Indian Point, is a member of New York AREA.  New York AREA helps to educate policy makers, businesses, and the general public regarding the necessity and importance of safe, low-cost, reliable, clean electricity. 

For additional information visit: www.area-alliance.org.

To obtain information on reports, statements, and testimony about Indian Point, click here.

To view the full letter to Assembly Committee Chairmen Brennan and Cahill, click on the PDF attached to this article.