18 THE QUEENS COURIER • JULY 15, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Schumer speaks out against proposed
fracked gas power plant in Astoria
BY JULIA MORO
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Senate Majority Leader Chuck
Schumer said he opposes the plan
to upgrade the Astoria NRG
fracked gas power plant
at a press conference on
Friday, July 9.
The Department
of Environmental
Conservation (DEC)
recently approveddraft
permits for
NRG Energy’s controversial
proposal
to replace and update
the 50-year-old peaker
plant in Astoria with natural
gas-fi red power.
Th e opposition from
Senator Schumer follows
the announcement made
by the DEC last week that
there will be a 60-day
public comment period
for the proposed fracked
gas power plant.
Dozens of New York elected offi cials
have come out in opposition to the Astoria
Replacement Project. Today, at Katch
Astoria, New Yorkers came out to once
again express their disapproval of the plan.
“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 (CLCPA).”
NRG Spokesperson David Schrader said
maintains that the Astoria Replacement
Project is following the CLCPA, contrary
to what Schumer said at the rally.
“It actually results in large reductions
in statewide greenhouse gas emissions —
the equivalent of taking more than 94,000
cars off the road each year,” Schrader said.
“In addition, the plant will be fully convertible
to green hydrogen in the future.”
Th e state Legislature passed CLCPA
in 2019, a bill that was championed by
Schumer and other elected
offi cials. Th e bill looks to
mitigate the eff ects of climate
change by cutting
greenhouse gas emissions, relying on
renewable sources of energy and creating
green jobs.
Schumer was joined by New York
State Senate Deputy Leader Michael
Gianaris, State Senator Jessica Ramos,
Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani and
Tiff any Cabán, lead candidate for City
Council in Astoria. Several climate justice
community groups and organizers were
in attendance as well.
“Given the severity of the climate crisis, no
new fossil fuel plants should be getting built,
period,” Gianaris said. “I will continue working
with my community to fi ght against this
ill-conceived project until it is fi nally dead.
I’m glad we are joined in this fi ght by Leader
Schumer because failure is not an option.”
At the rally, Schumer noted that Astoria
is known as “Asthma Alley,” because it’s
home to multiple power-generating facilities.
Th e U.S. Senate’s majority leader said
NRG’s proposal would continue to make
the fi ght against asthma increasingly diffi -
cult, and it would cause irreversible environmental
damage.
Th e No Astoria NRG Plant Coalition,
a group of several community organizations,
also gathered in opposition of the
power plant.
“We thank Senator Schumer for opposing
the NRG fracked gas power plant
and standing with the thousands of New
Yorkers who are calling on Governor
Cuomo and the DEC to stop this dirty
fossil fuel project from being built in
their communities during a climate crisis,”
NRG Plan Coalition said in a statement.
“Now, with opposition from New
York City Council members all the way to
the U.S. Senate majority leader, it’s clear
that this unnecessary fracked gas power
plant is wrong for New York and momentum
to stop it is growing. It’s obvious: We
need renewables, not more pollution.”
In response to many of Schumer’s comments,
NRG’s spokesperson said they also
wish to ensure New York has the infrastructure
in place to provide cleaner and
more reliable power.
“NRG is funding the replacement of
50-year-old generators with state-of-theart
technology at our Astoria facility to
ensure cleaner air for New Yorkers now
— at no cost to ratepayers or taxpayers,”
Schrader said. “Given unprecedented
heatwaves already experienced this
summer, New York cannot aff ord to gamble
with the reliability of electric supply
to the city. “
Additionally, Schrader said this project
brings necessary jobs to New York City, a
claim that lawmakers and advocates have
disputed in the past.
“Th e $350+ million investment into the
Astoria facility will also bring hundreds of
jobs and signifi cant economic benefi ts to
Queens, as well as lower-cost electricity to
NYC,” Schrader said.
Photos courtesy of Gianaris’ offi ce
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer joined Queens elected
offi cials to oppose the proposed upgrade to
NRG’s Astoria peaker plant.
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