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Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WFP – 125th) commented Tuesday on the end-of-session agreement between the Assembly, Senate and the Governor, establishing an unprecedented $19 million fund to aid municipalities and schools that lose 20% or more of their payment-in-lieu-of-taxes revenue from the closure of a fossil fuel based electricity generation facility. From text of the bill:

"Contingent  upon  available  funding, …..  moneys from the  urban  development  corporation  shall  be available for a municipal corporation or school district, as determined by the urban development corporation, where (i) a fossil  fuel  electric  generating  facility located within such municipal corporation or school  district has permanently ceased operations, and (ii) the closing of such facility has caused a reduction in the tax collections and receipts from payments in lieu of taxes of at least 20%..."

"I first called for state funding for affected communities and school districts in my comments to the PSC in August 2013, and again in my letter to the Governor last week, so, of course, I was very happy to learn at session's end that language was included in the final package to establish such a fund," said Lifton.

"While the current allocation of $19 million is apparently intended for Long Island, the new language will be in effect until 2025, and so I am optimistic and I will be fighting in every budget cycle, to try and make sure that such funding will be available for municipalities and schools across the state that are affected by coal plant retirements as they go forward in the years ahead."

"I will also be working to make sure that worker protections are put in place with any fossil fuel plant community transition plan, to ease the burden upon individuals who face direct consequences from plant closure." Lifton added.  "For example, assistance from NYSERDA's Energy, Education and Workforce Development Programs can aid in finding employment and training for the highly-skilled energy sector workers who may be displaced with the shuttering of an existing facility. The state's Green Jobs, Green New York initiative can also offer training for renewable energy jobs, which, with a commitment to a robust Renewable Portfolio Standard, will capture an ever-greater share of the energy sector workforce."

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