The following is a statement from IBEW 97 President and Business Manger Ted Skerpon on Entergy's decision to not refuel the Fitzpatrick Power Plant.
The news that Entergy will not refuel the Fitzpatrick Power Plant is devastating for our members along with the entire Oswego region.
Entergy engaged in a high stakes gamble with NYS using Oswego and our members as a poker chip, and they didn't get the outcome they desired.
We have, however, been carefully tracking the Governor's Reforming the Energy Vision carbon emission objectives along with his recent signing of the "Under2 MOU" with Al Gore, and the EPA Clean Power Plan and there is no way NYS can achieve carbon reduction objectives with the loss of Fitzpatrick.
The current REV (Reforming the Energy Process) is calculating what it calls "societal cost of carbon" to apply value to future generators that achieve zero carbon outcomes. While all the attention seems to be concentrated on solar, this value must equally apply to other existing and future utility scale projects like nuclear, hydro and wind, or NYS will never come close to achieving carbon reduction goals.
We are also deeply concerned with the import of power from Pennsylvania - a state that has more than 30% of its grid power sourced from coal - 1000% more than NYS - while not paying into the nine-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative - or RGGI. NY power plants must pay that carbon tax. A reliability agreement with a NYS power generator will expire at year's end when construction is completed and a NY southern tier substation is energized with dirtier, non-RGGI Pennsylvania power to replace NY power generation. This oversight means that NY will export jobs while importing much higher carbon emissions.
IBEW Local 97 is encouraged with Governor Cuomo comments that "the State of New York will pursue every legal and regulatory avenue in an attempt to stop Entergy's actions and its callous disregard for their skilled and loyal workforce".
Finally, we urge that the process will provide expedited carbon pricing solutions and for alternative ownership options given the critical nature of preserving zero carbon power generation sources - imperative if NYS is serious about carbon reduction objectives. NYS economic and environmental objectives will face an enormous setback if the Fitzpatrick power plant is allowed to retire.