RELI: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE For immediate release

March 8, 2006
Contacts: Neal Lewis 631-963-5454, cell 516-220-6966
Adrienne Esposito 516-390-7150, cell 631-384-1378
Mark Serotoff 631-368-4361
Jason Babbie 518-461-8817 cell
Gordian Raacke 516-313-6611 cell

Environmentalists Demand Repowering of
Dirty Power Plants as Crucial Part of Keyspan Buyout by National Grid

Mineola, NY – A broad-based coalition of environmental groups is calling upon the New York Public Service Commission (PSC), and State and County elected officials to oppose the recently announced buyout of KEYSPAN by the British company, NATIONAL GRID, “unless and until” there is a concrete commitment to reducing pollution from Long Island’s old, dirty power plants through repowering.

The over $7 billion deal of UK-based National Grid buying Long Island’s chief provider of electricity and natural gas KeySpan, must include updating the over 40 year-old power plants. The deal must be put on hold unless and until repowering is addressed. With Long Island’s high levels of respiratory, cardiac disease and cancer levels exacerbated by pollution, it is imperative the power plants be updated.

The coalition of environmental organizations with significant memberships on Long Island who jointly issued this call for cleaning up the emissions from local power plants include: CITIZENS CAMPAIGN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (CCE), the NEW YORK PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP (NYPIRG), RENEWABLE ENERGY LONG ISLAND (RELI), SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ALLIANCE (SEA), the Nassau Suffolk Chapter of the AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION, SIERRA CLUB LONG ISLAND GROUP, and the NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK.

“Power Plant pollution prematurely kills 1,200 New Yorkers every year,” said Jason Babbie of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). “It is in the best interest of the public health of all Long Islanders for the PSC (Public Service Commission) to require repowering of Long Island’s oldest and dirtiest power plants before granting its approval of the National Grid/Keyspan buyout,” he continued.

“Updating the power plants drops pollution over 90%, more than doubles the electricity generated, uses less foreign oil, creates jobs, improves public health, lowers medical costs, and increases system reliability,” said Mark Serotoff, coordinator of the Sustainable Energy Alliance of LI (SEA). “It will save money in the long term by doubling efficiencies, having fewer breakdowns and reducing the need for building new power plants,” added Serotoff.

“While the proposed buyout may benefit Keyspan and National Grid shareholders, we need assurances that Long Island’s environment will benefit”, said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI). “That’s why we want this deal put on ice until we get meaningful guarantees for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and the cleaning up of Long Island’s antiquated and polluting power plants”.

“If National Grid plans to do business on Long Island, it must demonstrate that it is a good corporate citizen by taking immediate steps to clean up the emissions from Long Island’s old highly polluting power plants,” said Neal Lewis, executive director of the Neighborhood Network. “Long Island has waited a long time for these power plants to be cleaned up, and it is not reasonable to expect us to wait indefinitely,” he concluded.

BACKGROUND:
Long Island’s baseload power plants are generally more than 40 years old.
If a new power plant were built today with the level of pollution emitted by these old plants, it would violate the federal Clean Air Act.
Repowering involves replacing old inefficient generating machinery and installing state-of-the-art natural gas combined cycle generation. Power plants emit nitrogen oxides (NO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon dioxide. The nitrogen oxides (NO) contribute to the formation of ozone, which is the main component of smog, and also to the formation of acid rain. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) also contributes to acid rain and may aggravate existing respiratory and cardiovascular disease. LI has a 7% rate of childhood asthma on LI, according to the Nassau Suffolk American Lung Association. Studies show that this is related to higher levels of ozone (O3) and particulates in the air, both of which are problems on LI. Air pollution is a particularly important local concern because the LI region is certified by the EPA and the DEC as a "severe non-compliance region" for ozone emissions. Repowering reduces these air pollution emissions by as much as 90%.
Repowering also reduces Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which is a contributor to global warming. The Northport Power Plant is commonly referred to as the second highest in the Northeast in CO2 emissions. Carbon in the atmosphere is now at 380ppm and it hasn’t been above 300ppm in the last 420,000 years according to scientific data from ice cores. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels could reach 450-550 ppm by 2050, and much higher levels towards the end of the century, based on different modeling assumptions. Rapid reductions in global emissions are needed to avert significantly higher global average temperatures and higher sea levels in the 21st century. One of the predicted effects of global warming is more intense storms and hurricanes. Another prediction is sea level rise, partially caused by melting glaciers that are melting at extremely rapid rates around the globe. Long Island is at great risk from these affects.
Although there are up-front costs involved in the repowering, these investments, over the long term, are offset by significant savings through increased efficiencies, reduced energy use and lower medical and health care costs.

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RELI is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit membership organization promoting clean,
sustainable energy use for Long Island.
Gordian Raacke, Executive Director, Renewable Energy Long Island
62 Newtown Lane, Suite 103
East Hampton, NY 11937
Phone: 631-329-8888 Fax: 877-619-5572
info@RenewableEnergyLongIsland.org www.RenewableEnergyLongIsland.org