Executive Speeches

Remarks of Louis P. Ciminelli, chairman of the New York Power Authority, at an event dedicating microturbine operations at the wastewater treatment facility, Town of Lewiston, New York

June 15, 2002

Thank you, Supervisor Maslen, and good morning.

It’s great to be here in Lewiston to help dedicate this exciting project.  As a Western New Yorker, I’m particularly pleased that the Power Authority was able to provide financial and technical support for this effort—which marks the first use of microturbines by a municipality in our region.

The two units here have already proved their worth in helping to support Governor Pataki’s commitment—and the Power Authority’s—to clean, efficient energy.

They’ve operated in extremely reliable fashion since they went into service a little less than a year ago.  And—by using the gas produced in wastewater treatment and replacing a less-efficient diesel generator—they’ve provided significant environmental benefits as well.

I’m delighted that Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte is with us today as we celebrate these accomplishments.  She has strongly supported this project and other Power Authority initiatives on the Niagara Frontier.

Although Senator George Maziarz couldn’t make it this morning, I want to acknowledge his vital role in working with Governor Pataki and the Power Authority to assure critical state funding for the microturbines to supplement the Authority’s $125,000 contribution.  His efforts helped us to obtain $100,000 in funds that had been allocated to the state from past oil company overcharges.

We also greatly appreciate the help of Supervisor Sandy Maslen, who told Gene Zeltmann—the Power Authority’s president—of the need for a new energy source at the wastewater treatment facility and then worked with us every step of the way to make this project a success.

Thanks, too, to Tim Lockhart—who oversees the treatment plant and whose expertise was invaluable.  And to the Town of Lewiston workers who did such a fine job on this project—from site preparation right on through to installation.

These two advanced microturbines together supply almost 60 kilowatts of electricity—about one-third of what the wastewater facility requires and nearly 20 kilowatts more than the previous cogeneration system that operated here.

As with that system, a heat exchanger captures the waste heat from power production to provide hot water for the treatment process—making this a super-efficient project.

It’s also super clean.  As with the previous system, using the anaerobic digester gas from the treatment process as a fuel avoids the need to burn that gas off into the air and also avoids the use of fossil fuels to produce the electricity.  This reliance on a renewable energy source benefits the environment in its own right.

But the big breakthrough comes from operating the microturbines instead of the diesel generator that used to be here.  In fact, that’s enabled us to cut annual emissions to the air by 30 tons—about 90 percent.

Running this facility in a cleaner, greener and more modern way not only protects the environment—it saves taxpayers about $40,000 a year by reducing the treatment plant’s electricity costs.

Now the Town of Lewiston has the distinction of being home to the state’s largest power source—our Niagara Project, whose low-cost electricity helps to protect some 50,000 Western New York jobs—and to two of its smallest.

The contrasts are great.  Yet the massive hydroelectric project and the compact microturbines each demonstrate that energy needs—large and small—can be met while protecting, and improving, the environment through use of clean, renewable resources.

As you well know, we are preparing for the relicensing of Niagara—where the current federal license expires in 2007.  We’ve asked the federal government to approve a relicensing approach that will allow broad public participation—and we look forward to working with you and other interested citizens and groups.  In that regard, I congratulate Supervisor Maslen on her recent election as chairwoman of the Niagara Power Coalition.

The Power Authority has been a proud member of the Lewiston community for nearly 45 years—since construction of the Niagara Project began.  We have tried from the very beginning to be a good neighbor and to recognize and respond to local needs.

The microturbines we dedicate today are the latest outgrowth of that long and ongoing commitment.  Thanks again to all involved for their help and support.  And thanks for joining us this morning.

Now it’s my pleasure to call on Assemblywoman DelMonte.

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