Executive Speeches

Remarks of Louis P. Ciminelli, chairman of the New York Power Authority, at the 500-Megawatt Plant Groundbreaking, Astoria, Queens.

November 6, 2002

Introduced by NYPA President Gene Zeltmann

Thank you, Gene.  And good afternoon and thanks to all of you for joining us.

This is a truly significant occasion for the City of New York and the Borough of Queens.

Today we break ground for a new 500-megawatt power plant that will mark the largest addition of generating capacity in the city since the Poletti project itself began operation more than 25 years ago.

This power plant will be one of the cleanest and most efficient in the city’s history.

And it will pave the way for the shutdown of the existing Poletti facility.  That will be accomplished under a landmark agreement reached through Governor Pataki’s leadership and the cooperation and dedication of numerous public officials and environmental groups.

The need—the urgent need—for clean new power sources in the city is clear.

This past summer, Con Edison set a system record for total electricity use from June through August.  It experienced five of the 10 highest daily peak demands in all its history.  The talk we’d been hearing about an electricity surplus and an end to the energy crisis faded into the summer heat.

The fact is, electricity requirements in the city—and throughout New York State─will continue to grow as our economy recovers from the national downturn and the effects of last September 11.

Those requirements can be met in part through energy conservation—an area in which the Power Authority excels.  But we must also build clean new power plants such as the one that will rise here—on a site that has been home to electric generating facilities for nearly a century.

Early this year, the New York Independent System Operator—which runs the state’s transmission system and wholesale power markets—projected that 2,000 to 3,000 megawatts of new capacity would be needed in New York City alone by 2005.  Needed to keep the lights on.  To promote competition and lower prices.  To permit the retirement of older plants that have the greatest impact on our environment.

The Power Authority plant will strengthen the reliability of New York City’s power supply.  And it will provide a new energy source for our government customers such as the MTA, the Port Authority and the city.  These customers—and the taxpayers—now save about $250 million a year through use of Power Authority electricity for public buildings, schools, subway trains and a host of other public facilities and purposes.

This plant will also help to protect New York City’s environment.

It will use sophisticated combined-cycle technology—meaning that it will be far more efficient than older power plants. 

The plant will be equipped with the most advanced emission controls—meaning that it will meet all federal air-quality standards by a wide margin.

And it will use an air-cooled condenser—meaning that no water will have to be taken from the East River for cooling and that fish will be unaffected by its operation.

Some of the biggest environmental benefits will come from the historic agreement that I mentioned before.

A number of you were here when Governor Pataki announced the agreement in September.  

To briefly summarize the main points: It calls for shutdown of the existing Poletti project as soon as February 2008.  For environmentally-beneficial operating limitations at that project beginning this coming January.  For the Power Authority to increase its investments in energy-efficiency and clean-air projects in this part of Queens and throughout the city by more than $50 million over the next five years.

When the older project is shut down and the new plant is operating, we anticipate substantial reductions in annual emissions from the site. 

Again, our thanks to the environmental groups, local officials and state agencies who came together on this settlement.

Now we’re into the early phases of construction of the new plant.  And we’re forging ahead every day.

As many as 650 workers—representing nearly 15 local labor unions—will be employed at the peak of construction.  We know we can count on these skilled workers for their usual terrific job. And we’re determined to have the plant up and running in time for the peak summer period in 2005.

This project will provide vivid proof that vital energy and environmental goals can be met together—that they need not be in conflict.  With today’s groundbreaking, we formally begin the process of transforming that promise into reality.

Thank you very much.

TOP