Photo Courtesy of Sen. Schumer’s Office
Elected officials and concerned Astoria residents rallied on Friday in opposition to the proposed overhaul of the Astoria NRG power plant.
By Forum Staff
With the State Department of Environmental Conservation recently opening the public comment period into the proposed overhaul of the Astoria NRG power plant, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and friends on Friday announced his opposition to the proposal.
The proposed power plant would be located at the heart of Astoria’s “Asthma Alley”—a corridor through Astoria and Long Island City known for abnormally high childhood asthma rates and an overconcentration of New York City’s power generating plants. The proposed overhaul could also undermine the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, a nation-leading state law enacted in 2019 that aims to reduce New York’s carbon pollution.
Schumer was joined by longtime project opponent and CLCPA champion, State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, as well as State Senator Jessica Ramos, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, and Tiffany Cabán, organizers against the plant and climate justice leaders, along with other activists, organizers, and advocates.
“For too long, the people of western Queens have borne the brunt of the consequences of being home to far too many of New York’s pollution-belching power plants – that needs to stop today,” Schumer said. “A rebuilt NRG plant that will keep a fossil fuel-dependent power plant in Astoria for years to come would directly undermine the urgently needed goals laid out in New York’s groundbreaking climate law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. A law I was proud to champion. I am also proud to stand with great local leaders and activists who are fighting for climate justice, and we won’t stop until we power-down this dangerous plan.”
The State Legislature passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019 to mitigate the effects of climate change by drastically cutting greenhouse gases, diverting the State’s energy reliance to renewable sources, and creating green jobs to promote environmental justice across New York State. The bill is the most comprehensive and aggressive climate change legislation in the nation. The law targets include an 85-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, 100 percent zero-emission electricity by 2040, and 70-percent renewable energy by 2030. The proposed overhaul of the NRG Astoria plant, which would be powered by fossil fuels, would be automatically in violation of the CLCPA and would require a waiver from the DEC to even operate.
Last week, the state DEC opened their public comment period on the project’s draft permits. The public comment period lasts through Aug. 29. Schumer joined local elected officials in urging local residents to participate in the public comment period, to let the DEC know they should reject the permits.
“Given the severity of the climate crisis, no new fossil fuel plants should be getting built, period. I will continue working with my community to fight against this ill-conceived project until it is finally dead. I’m glad we are joined in this fight by Leader Schumer because failure is not an option,” Gianaris said.
