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WPCNR THE POWER STORY. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. February 9, 2021:

The Westchester County Board of Legislators is formally voicing its opposition to a proposal that would turn a little used power plant on the banks of the Hudson into a fully-operational fossil fuel power plant operating day in, day out, year round.

By a unanimous vote on Monday, February 8, the Board passed a resolution opposing the proposal for the Danskammer Generating Station in Newburgh.

On July 10 and October 7, 2020 all 17 Westchester County Legislators signed onto letters in opposition to the plan, addressed to Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Public Service Commission, respectively. The decision to pass a resolution adds the force of legislative action to the opposition.

Legislator Catherine Parker (D – Harrison, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Rye), chief sponsor of the resolution and chair of the Board’s Planning, Economic Development and Energy Committee said, “New York State’s recently passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act establishing programs, obligations and targets to meet zero emissions by 2050. Expanding the Danskammer plant to a full time, fossil fuel facility is exactly the wrong thing to do if we’re serious about a clean, sustainable future, and about meeting those goals.”

Legislator Ruth Walter (D-Bronxville, Yonkers), chair of the Board’s Environment and Health Committee, said, “Although this plant will not be in Westchester, pollution and climate change do not observe County lines. The plant’s expansion would add 2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually to our atmosphere, drastically harming air quality in the region and exacerbating climate change and with gallons of diesel fuel and aqueous ammonia are proposed to be stored on-site, there’s a significant threat to the water quality for all of us downstream on the Hudson.”