Governor Moves Forward on Coal Transition Funding #BeyondCoal

New York State’s economic development arm, Empire State Development, announced nearly $7 million in support for the communities of Dunkirk and Tonawanda on November 17th, where the local coal-fired power plants have ceased operations. The transition funds come after NRG announced the permanent retirement of the Huntley coal-fired power plant in Tonawanda earlier this year and mothballed the Dunkirk coal-fired power after years of unprofitable operations. The decision to cease generating power at these plants followed a determination by the New York grid operator (NYISO) that both plants were no longer necessary to provide safe and reliable power for upstate New YorkCommunity coal transition funds were provided by the Electric Generation Facility Cessation Mitigation Program, a bipartisan measure passed by the New York legislature. These funds fulfill, in part, the Governor’s pledge to provide transition support for communities in the process of phasing coal-fired power out of the state by 2020.

In response to the announcement, Lisa Dix, Senior New York Representative for Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign provided the following statement:

“Governor Cuomo and Empire State Development’s decision to provide assistance to the communities of Dunkirk and Tonawanda supports the Governor’s pledge to ensure communities are not left behind in New York’s transition away from coal. Under the Governor’s leadership New York is setting a national model for how to responsibly retire unnecessary, dirty, dangerous and uneconomic plants while providing communities and workers with needed assistance. We look forward to working with the Governor, local communities, and workers to ensure that the State continues to adopt a statewide framework for a just and fair transition and to reap the benefits of New York’s job-creating clean energy economy.”