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A group of concerned citizens are hoping the Lansing Town Board will make an advisory committee official at the November board meeting.  Spearheaded by Sue Ruoff, Diane Beckwith and Lauren Chambliss, the committee would promote transparency between the Cayuga Operating Company (COC), government agencies and the public, engage the public in support of the project, explore solutions, and support COC as it seeks state funding and other business incentives.  Ruoff and Chambliss asked for the official stamp of approval, presenting a possible resolution for the Board to pass in November.

"The issue of what happens to that plant affects all of us," Chambliss said. "We want to be part of the transition and support it for our community, with transparency, and with help, and with everything we can do to make sure this is a win-win for everybody, including the shareholders or the corporation, but, most importantly, our community."

At the same meeting Lansing Director of planning C.J. Randall noted that the coal-fired power plant is set to stop producing power on October 31st.  Cayuga Operating Company officials filed a a deactivation notice with the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) and the New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC) on Friday, June 28.  They also announced their intention to turn the property into a 100 megawatt data center that Cayuga Operating Company is calling 'Empire State Data Hub', and their sister Somerset power plant property into a 500 megawatt data center.  The company proposed a $100 million capital investment on the Lansing site and said the new business will generate 30 to 40 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs with average salaries between $40,000 and $60,000.  A 15 megawatt solar farm is proposed for the 75 acres that would have been used in its previous solar array plan.  The company estimates 100 construction jobs would be created by the project.

COC started the ball rolling with an application for the first 25 megawatts of ReCharge NY low-cost hydropower.  Earlier this month The New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced they are granting 2 megawatts to the site, which is seen as a positive first step.

If the Town Board passes the proposed resolution to make the committee an official town committee, members would be appointed by the Town Board, and it would be given a scope of work, also proposed in the resolution.  The committee would have 8 to 13 members, with expertise in water and lake quality, energy including renewable energy, public health and public safety, communications, and Lansing schools, businesses, and residents.  A list of potential appointees include Cayuga Lake Watershed Network Executive Director Hilary Lambert, Distributed Solar Development, LLC COO Robert Jetty, Tompkins County Medical Director Doctor William Klepack, Engineer Bert Bland, Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osbourne, Rogues Harbor Inn Owner Eileen Stout, Chambliss, and Ruoff.  Councilman Joe Wetmore would act as liasion to the Town Board, and two representatives each from COC and the Lansing school district are listed as advisors to the committee.

"I've never joined a cause before, and the reason I did it was not just because it affects me personally, but because I realized when I moved here that it affects the entire community," Chambliss told the Board. "What happens with that power plant affects our tax base, it affects our job growth, it affects our environment, it affects, really, the culture of Lansing.  This is an opportunity to create even more than we already have: the kind of environment, the kind of community that will continue to attract young people to stay here... continue to bring young people back, who leave for a few years, and want to be part of this amazing community."

Ruoff said her group has been working on creating the advisory committee for the past several months.  There will be some cost to the Town if the committee is approved in the form of professional consultants and legal advice. That may pay for itself in increased tax revenue, as the State has been more well disposed to facilitating projects that have strong local support.  While officials have said that they do not expect the data center to make up for all the lost revenue resulting from the devaluation of the power plant over the past decade, it is expected to bring some of that revenue back to the town, county, and other affected taxing authorities, as well as new, well paying jobs.

"We appreciate your consideration of the formation of this Lansing committee and applaud your support of community involvement in this project," she told board members. "We hope you will approve this resolution at your next board meeting on November 20th."

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