Gianaris Blasts Easing Regs For W. Queens Power Plants

Queens Gazette wrote about Senator Gianaris' vote against the S.191 bill that would fast-track the construction of new power plants.

State Senator Michael Gianaris has voted against legislation that establishes a fast-track process for the siting of new electric generating facilities without providing enough safeguards for overburdened communities.

The bill, S191, allows for the placement of new power plants without properly considering the cumulative effect of new plant construction on neighborhoods that already house numerous power plants.

“Any new power plant construction must consider the fact that some neighborhoods, like Western Queens, have done their fair share when it comes to bearing the burden for the city’s energy needs,” Gianaris said. “I cannot support any expedited process that does not provide a solution for the ongoing suffering of overburdened communities.”

For more than a decade, Gianaris has fought the proliferation of dirty power plants in Western Queens. He is the author of landmark legislation, the Clean Energy Law, which encouraged power companies to replace outdated plants with cleaner, greener technology.

Read the full article here.