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Mike SiglerTompkins County Legislator Mike Sigler told the Lansing Town Board Wednesday that he has bought $1,000 of radio time to encourage listeners to support repowering the cayuga Power Plant.  He has recorded two advertisements that he says are airing currently, and will run for the next two weeks leading up to the NYS Public Service (PSC) Commission deadline for an acceptable repowering plan to be submitted.

"The ad is asking people to call the state," he said.  "Hopefully people will call and tell the Governor to support the power plant.  That is the goal right now."

On July 29th, 2013 the PSC was in Lansing to gather public opinion on whether the Cayuga Power Plant in Lansing should be repowered with gas or shut down.  Lansing Middle School Auditorium was filled beyond capacity as more than 600 people attended, some of them listening in an 'overflow room' in the school.  Speakers argued for and against repowering the plant.  At that time the public comment period was to be closed on October 23rd 2013, with a decision coming soon after.  Plant owners wanted to repower the coal-fueled plant with natural gas.  New York State Gas & Electric (NYSEG) officials argued to close the plant and , instead, update their transmission lines.

Since then plant officials have been given seven extensions to come up with a plan the PSC might accept.  For much of the past year they were expected to come up with a joint plan with NYSEG, but those negotiations evidently fell apart at the end of last year.  Plant officials asked for a new extension to develop their own plan, and NYSEG asked to be included in the new deadline so they would have time to respond to it.

The Cayuga plant has a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) agreement with Tompkins County that has reduced its value significantly since 2012.  It phased in a decrease of the plant’s taxable value from $112.5 million to $60 million last year in three steps—to $86,250,000 in 2012, $74 million in 2013, and $60 million in 2014.  Tompkins County has begun negotiations with plant officials on a new PILOT.

Town Councilman Ed LaVigne said he hopes a decision on repowering is reached soon, because a positive outcome for the plant could mean the plant's value would begin to rise again.  That would be good news for property taxpayers who have had to assume the burden of additional taxes to make up for lost power plant tax revenue.  He asked Town Attorney Guy Krogh what might impact the timing of a decision.

"It's not an election year, so that should speed it up a little bit," Krogh wryly replied.  "The problem is that NYSEG is a distributor so they want to solve a problem with distribution lines, not a production facility.  They don't make a dime if investment goes into the production facility.  I understand why they are opposed to repowering."

"Yet the plant is still making contracts with NYSEG to keep producing electricity, like they are now," observed Lansing Supervisor Kathy Miller.

"It doesn't have to make sense," Krogh replied.

Sigler initiated a petition in February 2014 in support of repowering the plant.  Signs went up in strategic spots in the Town of Lansing, and he and others took the petition door to door.  He also posted an online petition, which, to date, has accumulated over 550 signatures with comments supporting repowering the plant.  Sigler said Wednesday that he will be sending the signatures to Albany this week.

The current deadline is February 6th.  The plant's fate is expected to be determined some time next month if there are no new extensions.

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