NEWS
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NYPA Trustees Authorize Funding for Life Extension Modifications at Long Island Natural Gas-Fueled Power Plant Contact: April 24, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WHITE PLAINS—A major overhaul of a highly efficient and clean natural gas fueled power project on Long Island—the Richard M. Flynn Power Plant—will be supported by the New York Power Authority (NYPA) Trustees’ approval Tuesday of more than $8.6 million for the initiative, to be undertaken this year. The funding will facilitate work on the 135-megawatt (mw) project’s gas and steam turbines and other components, as part of a life extension program of the 13-year-old facility, whose last major overhaul occurred in 2003. The gas turbine recorded a milestone in 2005 when it became the first model of its kind (Siemens V84.2) to reach 100,000 operating hours, reflecting the outstanding performance and reliability of the generating project. (To date, it has recorded a total of about 120,000 operating hours.) “The Flynn plant has been one of the workhorses in our fleet of hydro and natural-gas fueled power plants for helping to meet New York State’s electricity demand while contributing to cleaner air,” said Timothy S. Carey, NYPA president and chief executive officer. “The sustained and heavy use of this facility, which relies on a combined-cycle technology to capture heat normally lost in the generation of power, is the reason for a scheduled outage this fall and today’s funding authorization. The work will ensure that this efficient and environmentally sound project continues to provide great value for Long Islanders in the years ahead.” NYPA’s Flynn plant, which operates in Holtsville, Suffolk County, provides economical power to the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) under a long-term supply agreement for resale to the utility’s customers without profit. The plant, which produced over 1.2 million megawatt hours last year, is currently undergoing repair to the rotor of the gas turbine generator. Some of the life-extension improvements planned for October, including work on the heat-recovery steam turbine-generator, were moved up to take advantage of the current outage, with the plant expected to be returned to service next month. The New York Power Authority also contributes to Long Island’s electricity needs with a small clean power plant in the Town of Islip, installed in 2001. It is also the owner and operator of a 345-kilovolt transmission cable from New Rochelle to the East Garden City Substation in the Town of Hempstead, including an underwater section across Long Island Sound. And it has invested more than $110 million in energy efficiency projects in Nassau and Suffolk Counties for annual savings of more than $14.6 million on the electric bills of schools, hospitals, libraries and other public facilities and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of over 79,000 tons a year. NYPA has undertaken life extension modifications at other generating facilities around the state. Last year it completed a modernization program at its Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant near Niagara Falls, with all 13 turbines of the hydroelectric facility replaced. It is currently conducting similar initiatives at its St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project in Massena and Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Project in the northern Catskills, two other large hydro facilities. 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. ■ NYPA is a leader in promoting energy-efficiency, new energy technologies and electric transportation initiatives. ■ It is the nation’s largest state-owned electric utility, with 18 generating facilities in various parts of the state and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. |
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