NYPA Press Release

New York Power Authority Board of Trustees Meet as

Full Complement of Seven Board Members

White Plains—The New York Power Authority Board of Trustees and the Canal Corporation Board of Directors met last week as a full complement of seven board members following confirmations in June from the State Senate of Michael Cusick, Cecily Morris, Lewis Warren, Jr., and Laurie Wheelock..

NYPA Chairman John R. Koelmel said, “I am pleased to welcome Michael, Cecily, Lewis, and Laurie as the newest members to serve on the NYPA Board of Trustees. Serving as a NYPA trustee is a distinct privilege, and I have confidence this group of individuals will represent the interests of the people of New York with integrity and pride as we press forward to achieve Governor Hochul’s ambitious clean energy goals.”

Cusick, a Staten Island resident, previously served as a member of the New York State Assembly for 20 years and has been credited with passing 120 pieces of legislation during his tenure. While in office, Cusick served as chair of the Energy Committee and passed legislation that created strong cybersecurity protection for New York’s energy grid, increased the adoption of electric-drive vehicles and supported efforts to bring the offshore-wind industry to New York. Earlier this year, Cusick joined the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation as its president and CEO.

Morris, a St. Lawrence County resident, had a career as a family court judge in St. Lawrence County prior to her retirement in 2021. As an Acting Supreme Court Justice, Judge Morris, in part, presided over the Integrated Domestic Violence Court and the Youth Court of the New York State Supreme Court. She also serves as chair of the Power Authority’s Economic Development Power Allocation Board, which helps facilitate allocations of low-cost NYPA power to ensure that businesses in New York State retain and create jobs.

Warren, a Long Island resident, is a vice chair of Commercial Banking of J.P. Morgan, responsible for managing banking relationships with state and municipal agencies and authorities nationally, and with developing strategic alliances and product innovation. He has more than 35 years of experience in commercial and investment banking and global transaction services. Additionally, he serves as vice chairman on the Board of Directors for PENCIL, a New York City-based non-profit that connects civic and business leaders with New York City public schools.

Wheelock, an Albany resident, is the executive director and general counsel of the Public Utility Law Project. She began her career working for the New York Public Interest Research Group, where she fought for the rights of consumers across the state. She worked for three members of the New York State Assembly, focusing on a wide variety of issue areas, including legislation to promote affordable housing, public access to insurance, nonprofit reform, and environmental protection.

In addition to Chairman Koelmel, the new trustees join fellow board members Dennis Trainor, vice president of CWA District 1, and Bethaida Gonzalez, a recently retired administrator at Syracuse University.

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New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $33 billion in 102 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting nearly 158,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2020, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.

About NYPA  

NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. 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. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.