Statement From Senator Patty Ritchie

Today, everyone in Central New York—and especially in Oswego County—can breathe easier thanks to the State Public Service Commission’s decision to include nuclear in New York’s plan to reduce pollution-causing emissions from the production of electricity.

Not only does the new Clean Energy Standard (CES) spare thousands of jobs at nuclear power plants across the state, including those at James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant and Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, it also will result in a cleaner, healthier environment that will put New York at the forefront of a worldwide fight to control emissions. Specifically, the new CES will benefit our state in the following ways:

• Helping to avoid an increased reliance on fossil fuels and the emission of nearly 16 million tons of extra carbon dioxide annually;
• Safeguarding fuel diversity and allowing protection against price volatility during high winter and summer demand periods;
• Continuing the operation of highly-reliable facilities that help to provide more than 30 percent of the energy consumed in our state;
• Ensuring the annual addition of $3.16 billion to the state’s gross domestic product; and
• Protecting the jobs of 25,000 hardworking men and women that operate and support nuclear facilities.

I would like to congratulate, and thank Governor Cuomo for his leadership and tireless effort on this issue.  In addition, I also would like to express my thanks to the thousands of people throughout our region and beyond—including those who are part of the Upstate Energy Jobs Coalition, community members and plant employees, as well as the many climate scientists, scholars and environmentalists— who stood up and made their voices heard on the benefits of nuclear power, and on behalf of the men and women who depend on these facilities for jobs that support their families, as well as their communities.

With today’s decision, we are taking a major step in protecting not only the strength of New York State’s energy grid, but also safeguarding the tremendous, economic benefits supported by nuclear plants.  I look forward to seeing how the new CES positively impacts our state’s economy, energy grid and environment.