I must ask why you continue to promulgate the same incorrect information regarding the closure of Indian Point Energy Center and the energy needs of the region. Entergy fed all of us the same inaccurate information for many years, but you have heard the NYISO report at the NYS Indian Point Task Force meeting several months ago : the energy supplied by IPEC has already been replaced through increased efficiency, grid improvement, decreased demand, distributed generation, and, sadly, the increased availability of gas. This gas — certainly not natural as the industry would have us believe –is obtained through fracking which results in the destruction of land and poisoning of water sources. New York State banned fracking but has permitted the extensive build-out of gas infrastructure which we in the Hudson Valley have been forced to endure. The Algonquin Pipeline expansion is exposing all of us to undue risk solely to enhance the profit margin for Spectra/Enbridge shareholders. There should be NO gas at or near Indian Point, yet every day we live with this risk. The CPV plant, built on bribes, is an environmental nightmare for Orange County and the surrounding areas which include the farmlands that supply much of the produce for the lower Hudson Valley and the downstate area.

It is time to make a serious move toward renewable energy, rather than continuing to provide  lip service to this concept. You, as the elected official for SD 40, should be providing this kind of leadership and conveying accurate information to your constituents. I sincerely hope you will reconsider some of the statements you have disseminated during recent months —  they do not serve you or your district well.

Sincerely,
Marie Inserra
Peekskill, NY

Senator Murphy,

Please get this following paragraph and attached facts into your head and let the truth come out of your mouth when you speak about our energy instead of the repeated misinformation you spew as in https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/terrence-murphy/indian-point-replacement-power-plan-gets-short-circuited

Your constituent Gary Shaw explains – According to Reuters, NYPA, the only distributor of electricity to municipal users, got out of its contract with Indian Pint in 2013 when the IP2 license expired and they have not used IP power since then.  ConEd, the distributor to private residence and business users had a contract for only 500MW at that time and they have also ended their contract, except if there is an unexpected shortage.  No one is shutting IP except Entergy, who is getting out of the merchant nuclear business because  it is not profitable any more.  They have already shut down Vermont Yankee, they have sold FitzPatrick to Exelon, they are closing Pilgrim  and Palisades.  There is no shortage of energy and usage is declining because of efficiency and the proliferation of solar.  There is a lot of gas, but that is already online.  And the Algonquin pipeline is intended to export their gas to Europe or Asia.  Nuclear is NOT a bridge energy that is acceptable.

And for your knowledge and understanding, the attached 2016 Up Date Sources of Replacement Power for Indian Point. Memorize them both.

Shut down Algonquin gas at Indian Point nuclear plant and take that insane risk off the table. Prevent CPV power plant from being operational. Stop Cricket Valley from moving forward. Stand up to prevent your district being a sacrifice zone.

And if you want a future for your children’s children and all of us, untangle the wrecked Cuomo PSC policy making community solar development so complicated that $800 million in investments are drying up and developers are leaving NY.

Sincerely,
Suzannah Glidden
North Salem, NY

NYSERDA and Riverkeeper have both done independent studies that show with increases in energy efficiency and the current growth of renewable energy, we won’t even need the power generated by Indian Point by the time it closes. Why weren’t those studies mentioned in this article? The premise of this article is false.

We do not need to replace nuclear power with fossil fuel power. Energy efficiency+investment in renewables can meet demand for energy. 

The reason this article is written this way is because renewables and energy efficiency can’t meet the demand money for Entergy and other fossil fuel infrastructure companies.

Communities are tired of sacrificing their health and safety for energy generation. If politicians like Cuomo, Schumer, and Gillibrand weren’t beholden to money from fossil fuel interests this problem would be solved for NY. 

Courtney Williams