Congressman Mike Lawler, whose New York 17th Congressional District includes parts of Westchester and Dutchess and all of Rockland and Putnam has called for the rebuilding and reopening of the shuttered Indian Point nuclear powerplant.
On March 6, Lawler staged a visit to the site of the closed plant by U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright. At the event, Lawler announced that he has introduced legislation called the Economic Recovery for Nuclear-Affected Communities Act. He said it would provide economic relief to communities that lost jobs and tax revenue after nuclear plant closures but continue to store spent nuclear fuel onsite, like Indian Point.
“Across the Northeast, including in New York, Americans are paying some of the highest electricity prices in the country because political leaders blocked critical infrastructure and prematurely shutdown power plants that deliver affordable, abundant power,” Wright said.
The Trump administration has taken steps to shut down the development of generating sites for renewable electricity such as offshore wind farms. It has shown an interest in building new nuclear generating plants, putting coal-fired plants back on line and expanding the use of other fossil fuels in electricity generation.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins reacted to Lawler’s call to restart Indian Point by saying, “Absolutely not. Let me be clear because apparently I was not clear enough for Congressman Lawler and the Trump Administration: restarting the Indian Point nuclear power plant is not welcome in Westchester County.
“New York State already has access to a range of low-cost, environmentally responsible energy alternatives, including solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower. We do not need and we do not want Indian Point back online. The health and safety of millions of residents in the Hudson Valley will always matter more than reopening a nuclear facility.”
Jenkins said that he supports Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to expand nuclear energy capacity in New York state in appropriate locations, while excluding New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley from consideration.
“Our communities fought long and hard to close this facility, and we are not going to reopen that debate now and not ever,” Jenkins said about Indian Point. “Westchester County does not support reactivating a plant that sits in the heart of one of the most densely populated regions in the country and continues to raise serious concerns for our environment and our communities.”
State Assemblymember Dana Levenberg whose 95th Assembly District covers parts of northern Westchester County and western Putnam County including Peekskill, Ossining, Cortlandt, Philipstown, Croton-on-Hudson, Buchanan, and Cold Spring said, “Nuclear is the most expensive form of energy per kilowatt hour; reopening Indian Point at this point in time would not bring utility costs down. Furthermore, we simply can’t trust the Trump administration to keep us safe.”
Lawler said at the March 6 event that he wanted to see Indian Point reopened in part because “New Yorkers are now paying nearly 60% more for electricity than the national average, and prices have risen dramatically over the past several years. You cannot shut down nuclear plants, block natural gas pipelines, and impose costly mandates, and then act surprised when families are hit with some of the highest utility bills in America.”
