NEWS
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N.Y. Power Authority to Help Sponsor Niagara Military Affairs Council Celebration Dinner Contact: March 3, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Lewiston—The New York Power Authority (NYPA) will join with other area groups and organizations in sponsoring an upcoming community celebration dinner to recognize those who participated in the efforts to keep the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station open. The NIMAC Celebration Dinner will take place on Saturday, March 18 at Antonio’s Restaurant, Banquet and Conference Center. “Governor Pataki, Congressman Tom Reynolds and a slew of other leaders in Western New York worked to save this base, and NYPA is honored to be a part of this event and to partner with the Niagara Military Affairs Council (NIMAC), area elected officials, community leaders and thousands of volunteers who contributed to this extraordinary success story,” said Timothy S. Carey, NYPA CEO and President. This marks the latest in a series of measures NYPA has taken to demonstrate its support for the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. In 2003, Governor Pataki’s Task Force on Military Bases identified power costs at the Air Base as a priority action item to help meet the challenge of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. “The Niagara Falls Air Base plays a critical role in keeping our nation free and strong, while making important contributions to the local economy,” Governor Pataki stressed at the time. “Reducing its power costs will support vital military missions and help protect its 3,000 jobs.” In response, NYPA trustees approved an allocation of 2,300 kilowatts of low- cost hydro power to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority for use at the Niagara Falls Air Base. Last year, NYPA also “stepped to the plate” to help sponsor a “Save the Base Rally” at a Buffalo Bison’s game at Dunn Tire Park. To demonstrate widespread community support, anyone who wrote five letters to the BRAC commission received two tickets to the game. Letters were available at the Power Vista, the visitors center at NYPA’s Niagara Power Project, and were distributed and collected by NYPA staff members at a number of community events. NIMAC Chairman Merrell Lane said “The New York Power Authority has been an important partner in the success of the community’s and NIMAC’s overall effort to save the Niagara Air Reserve Station. They have been with us from the start with important power allocations that reduced the base’s operating costs and also with financial support for NIMAC events.” Tickets are $30 per person and are available by calling the NIMAC office at 716-283-4008. About NYPA: ■ NYPA uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. n NYPA is a leader in promoting energy-efficiency, new energy technologies and electric transportation initiatives. n It is the nation’s largest state-owned electric utility, with 18 generating plants in various parts of the state and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines.
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