FREDONIA – More than 1600 people were at SUNY Fredonia last night to attend a public hearing that will help decide the fate of the NRG Power Plant in Dunkirk.
According to an article in today’s Jamestown Post-Journal, those who were in attendance for the meeting – hosted by the Public Service Commission – were overwhelmingly in support of Re-Powering the Dunkirk power plant and converting it to a natural gas-burning facility.
At issue is whether the PSC should recommend the state give nearly $500,000,000 in funding for re-powering projects at the Dunkirk power plant and another in central New York, or whether it should instead go with a plan to upgrade National Grid’s transmission system.
The meeting was split into two parts. The first half involved representatives from both companies presenting their case to the PSC and the audience members.
The second half of the meeting was devoted to public comment, with several local officials and residents on hand to speak out in support of the NRG plant. Among those on hand were State Senator Cathy Young, Assemblyman Andy Goodell and County Legislator Lori Cornell of Jamestown, who said the project not only represents a critical need for Chautauqua County’s economy and tax base, but offers critical protections for the environment because the new plant would be significantly cleaner and would make use of renewable energy.
In addition to last night’s public hearing, comments can also be submitted to the PSC through July 26 at the PSC website, by mail, or by calling 1-800-336-2120.
The PSC is expected to review all the information from the public comment and come forward with a recommendation on which plan to go with by August or September
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