Write a commentThe Upstate Energy Jobs Coalition (UEJ), a group representing more than 130 business, education and labor leaders throughout upstate and central New York, released the following statement in response to today’s public hearing on the Clean Energy Standard (CES) by the Assembly Standing Committees on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions; Consumer Affairs and Protection, Energy; and Environmental Conservation.
“As we have said time and time again, the benefits of the Clean Energy Standard (CES) are indisputable. Upstate nuclear plants Ginna, Nine Mile Point and FitzPatrick account for thousands of jobs, pay millions of dollars in local and state taxes and help to avoid over 16 million tons of carbon emissions. The chorus of voices that has supported the CES over the past two years has been resounding – ranging from business owners, to labor leaders, to federal, state, and local officials, to environmentalists.
Those seeking to derail the CES and the zero emissions credit (ZEC) program, have been spreading a fair amount of misinformation. Since much of this effort is by fossil fuel interests, they fail to acknowledge that if upstate nuclear generation is shut down, the generation will be replaced by higher cost facilities, and emissions and capacity costs throughout New York will go up. The dangers of climate change are very real, and New York has seen them first hand as hurricanes have ravaged the state in recent years, specifically downstate with Superstorm Sandy in 2012, which caused over 50 deaths and $32 billion in damage. Moreover, the cost of the ZEC works out to a mere three cents a day ($0.03) to provide us with clean and reliable energy by keeping our upstate plants in operation.
All New Yorkers deserve clean air! The fact of the matter is that the benefits of implementing the ZEC program far outweigh costs on an environmental basis only. The other benefits such as maintaining 25,000 jobs, providing $3 billion in gross domestic product annually, avoiding an over-dependence on one fossil fuel type and providing a clean bridge to a high percentage of renewable energy future only make this policy a slam dunk.
New York State continues to lead while others follow. It’s time for all New Yorkers to embrace the CES and realize the many benefits the program, as designed, will provide.”
About Upstate Energy Jobs Coalition
Upstate Energy Jobs (UEJ) is a growing coalition of more than 130 upstate New York elected representatives, business leaders, members of organized labor, education institutions, economic development organizations and community leaders who are leading efforts to raise awareness among policymakers of the importance of keeping upstate New York’s nuclear energy plants open. For more information or to voice support for preserving the region’s economic and environmental security, go to upstateenergyjobs.com.
