The New York Power Authority’s program to install 10 small,clean gas-turbine generators in boroughs of the Big Apple in timeto prevent blackouts and price spikes this summer gained some stateagency lobbying partners this week, who urged the New York StateAssembly to support the program to avert California-like energyproblems in the coming months.

“A delay of even one day would bring us that much closer to thekinds of blackouts, brownouts and price spikes that have createdthe crisis in California,” Eugene W. Zeltmann, NYPA’s COO, toldmembers of the three New York Assembly committees on EnvironmentalConservation, Energy, and Corporations, Authorities andCommissions. “Our gas-turbine initiative is in keeping with thePower Authority’s long-standing tradition of meeting major energyneeds in New York State, and doing so with utmost respect andconcern for the environment.”

The generators would provide 400 MW of additional capacity inNew York City, a figure that is virtually equal to the in-citygenerating shortfall predicted in a recent report by the New YorkIndependent System Operator, which administers the city’s wholesalepower markets. The NY ISO requires that at least 80% of New YorkCity’s power supply be produced within the city because of thetransmission constraints that limit supplies from outside sources.

The 10 turbines would be located at six sites in four of NewYork City’s boroughs, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and StatenIsland. A technically feasible site in Manhattan could not befound. NYPA also is installing a unit on Long Island in SuffolkCounty.

Zeltmann was flanked by testimony from Maureen O. Helmer, chairof the New York Public Service Commission and Glen Bruening,executive deputy commissioner of the New York Department ofEnvironmental Conservation. He said that NYPA is “moving aheadquickly” by installing the new units to meet the “crucial summerdeadline” and still comply with the state’s environmentalstandards.

“We have had more than 25 face-to-face meetings with publicofficials, community leaders and members of the public,” saidZeltmann. “And that doesn’t count the many, many telephoneconversations we’ve had with interested people.”

With what he called the “cleanest power sources in the city,”Zeltmann said that NYPA would invest another $50 million to provideadvanced equipment to control air emissions and noise. “We havealso committed to offset even the minimal air emissions from theseplants by reducing emissions from other New York City sources,” hesaid. “We’re looking at various options to accomplish that and haveasked residents of the communities in which the units will belocated to provide their own ideas.”

Helmer said there was “real shortage” of generating capacity inNew York City, “a shortage that undermines the provision of safeand reliable electric service to the city and, following the lawsof supply and demand, also serves to increase prices.”

Bruening said that the NYPA commitment “goes above and beyondour regulatory requirements,” and said that the units would emit400 times less nitrogen oxides, 140 times less particulates and 30times less sulfur dioxides than facilities with similar generatingcapacity.

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