Letter to the Hon. Kathleen Burgess, New York State Public Service Commission Secretary - FitzPatrick Vital to the Future of Central and Upstate New York

Letter

Dear Secretary Burgess,

As you know, there are discussions underway at Entergy Corporation about whether to carry out a scheduled refueling of the FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba, NY. The company cites difficult market conditions as a reason that it may decide against refueling the plant, and if that is indeed the decision, the plant will be forced to shut down. To the extent that the Public Service Commission becomes engaged on this issue, and in any future discussions over what may be done to make market conditions more favorable to the plant, we implore you to consider the effect that closure would have on the regional economy, and the importance of maintaining a diverse portfolio of emissions-free energy production in our state.

The FitzPatrick plant accounts for 600 highly-technical, well-paid jobs that make up a very large portion of the region's tax base. Closure of the plant would very likely force many laid-off employees to leave the area, which would further harm the local economy and result in the elimination of even more jobs. Additionally, property values could fall, which would further reduce the tax take and the money available to support public schools and other vital public services.

FitzPatrick produces enough electricity to power 800,000 homes, and it does so without emitting any greenhouse gases. As the State pursues its ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, it will need a diverse array of emissions-free energy sources. FitzPatrick, and other nuclear facilities in the region will play a vital role in meeting these long term goals. We believe that this should be an important consideration as the state decides what it may do to maintain the plant's production capacity.

We have visited FitzPatrick, and seen firsthand the professionalism of its workforce. These men and women work tirelessly to ensure that the plant operates in a safe, efficient manner. These workers, and the families they support, are a credit to the community in Central New York, and we hope that all parties involved make every reasonable effort to keep this important source of clean energy and economic vitality open.

Please let us know if we can be of any assistance on this, or any issue. We look forward to staying in touch.

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