Unsustainable Huntley Plant an Opportunity to Develop Clean Energy Economy

Albany – The following statement is from Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates NY, concerning today’s assessment by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis which finds outdated and inefficient power plants cost too much to run:

“The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis report underscores that New York State cannot be wedded to the dirty ways of the past to power its economy and way of life. The report focused on the economic health of the Huntley Generating Station near Buffalo. It found that the price of power, the high cost of coal and consumers’ own efforts to become less wasteful will likely be the death knell of this plant.

“As this report shows, we can no longer afford the price of dirty power, the impacts it has on our environment, or the destruction it has caused to our health. Retiring this plant is in the best interest of ratepayers and it will provide a great needed breath of fresh air for those living near the plant. As the community grapples with the next steps, we now have the opportunity to push for a smarter, cleaner and healthier way to generate and transmit power. The Western New York community can truly lead the way forward.”

###