CARL LAM
Staff Writer
Last December, on a snowy and slushy Sunday morning, the Clarion Hotel along Lake Erie was packed. Dozens of illegally parked cars, police officers directing traffic and protesters were just some of the signs that something big was going on inside. Governor Andrew Cuomo was ready to make a major announcement about NRG staying in the area. Without a doubt, it was some of the best news that residents in Dunkirk have heard in a while.
Inside the hotel, the holiday sounds of the season filled the air of an overcrowded lobby. Registration for the event moved at a snail’s pace, largely because of the huge turnout. After passing that barricade, signs of support thanking the Governor were by the side of many supporters inside the ballroom.
The crowd roared with excitement as Cuomo, along with State Senator Catharine Young, R-Olean, Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown and other prominent figures took their place on stage.
After what seemed like minutes of cheering, Cuomo addressed the group of supporters by offering reassurance.
“There has been a question about the Dunkirk [NRG] plant for a long, long time. I’m here to tell you today that the State has decided that the plant will remain open,” said Cuomo.
In fact, the plant has entered into a 10-year contract to produce energy, with Cuomo noting that this won’t be an issue that comes up annually for a while.
“I believe that this is part of Western New York’s rebirth,” he said. “I think this is a metaphor for what’s going on in Western New York. I know the economy has been tough over the past while. Nationwide, the economy is still slow, and it’s been especially tough in Western New York for a long time.”
The plan is expected to add 50 new construction jobs and maintain those existing jobs as well. The three coal units at the plant will be repowered with natural gas, operating at a capacity of 435 megawatts. The new project is almost 600 percent larger than the unit they’re currently using now.
State Senator Young noted that this issue has caused a lot of controversy. Some of those verbal jabs were exchanged at the Williams Center back in July when there were nearly 2,000 people in attendance for the community meeting.
“This has been a long and very tough battle. Everyone said from the beginning that this was an impossible dream and that it was dead on arrival. We proved them wrong!” Young exclaimed.
NRG is a crucial part of the Dunkirk and Chautauqua County economy because they contribute to over 40 percent of the property tax revenue, which is collected by the City of Dunkirk.
“The community knows so well what the consequences would be. We would lose our tax base, we would lose our jobs and it would be like a nuclear explosion. Losing this plant would kill this community and our future,” Young said. “I’m proud that this community came together and dug deep because you have to believe. So today, this victory belongs to you.”
Young said this agreement would not be possible unless everyone was on board, and aside from political differences, they’re putting the community first.
“For the past three years, we’ve had a government in Albany that has been functioning,” Young said. “We’ve had three on time budgets, we’ve had bipartisan cooperation, and the Governor works extremely well the Senate and the Assembly to get the job done. We have proven, by working together, that New York State is back on track.
The conversion to natural gas is expected to be complete by fall 2015.