Archive: Opinions

Schrödinger's cat, popularized by the television sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory' posits that a cat is locked in a a steel chamber, along with a device containing a vial of hydrocyanic acid. There is, in the chamber, a very small vial of hydrocyanic acid. If only one atom of the radioactive acid decays, a hammer will break the vial and kill the cat.  At the same time there is no way of knowing whether the cat is alive or dead unless you open the box.  So until that happens the cat is both alive and dead.  This illustrates a major concept in quantum theory.

Lansing has been waiting to learn whether the Cayuga Power Plant will remain open for almost two and a half years.  As the county's largest taxpayer the plant is a major piece of Lansing's economy.  The loss of the plant will be a fiscal disaster, especially for the Lansing School District.  At the moment it is both remaining open and closing as far as we know.  Who knew that Schrödinger had a power plant as well as a cat!

The tention is crackling like peanut brittle.  Stakeholders on all sides of the repowering controversy have waited on pins and needles for a state ruling on whether or not the Cayuga Power Plant will remain open.  It has been close to four months since a February 6th deadline for the submission of final proposals by the plant owners (and an opposition view by NYSEG).  Most people thought a decision would be forthcoming fairly quickly, possibly in mid to late February.

And the uncertainty about the plant's future is starting to cause problems of its own because it is impossible for local taxing authorities to plan effectively.

The most recent instance of this was the Lansing Town Board putting a hydro-fracking ban on hold last week.  The thought was that opposing natural gas drilling in the town might mistakenly be taken as an indication that Lansing opposes all gas use.  Some board members said the The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) understands that there is a difference between different gas mining practices, and that the Town's stance on keeping the power plant open is an entirely separate issue from protecting the Town from possible negative consequences of fracking.  But the majority said keeping the power plant open is too important for any ambiguity, real or perceived to color the PSC's decision.

The PSC instituted proceedings to consider the fate of the Lansing plant and another plant in Western New York on January 17th, 2013.  It seemed straightforward enough.  The plant would submit its proposal for repowering the coal-fired plant with natural gas, and NYSEG would submit its recommendations.  Two and a half years later the plant's fate is still uncertain.

It shouldn't be surprising that the plant owners, in the business of generating power, argued that the plant is needed to provide power reliably to the region.  And NYSEG, in the business of distributing power, argued to improve the distribution lines.

What surprises me, at least a bit, is why the two are mutually exclusive.  It seems to me that I am constantly reading doomsday articles about failing infrastructure in the United States.  Cheaper, cleaner power generation is needed, and so is reliable transmission.  The power plant and NYSEG spent nearly a half year not agreeing on a joint proposal before the final salvo ended February 6th.

For residents here the equation is simpler.  As the assessed value of the power plant has dwindled by $100,000,000 in only six nerve-racking years, the burden on Lansing property taxpayers has climbed.  Joined with recent state tax cap mandates, the revenue loss and the ability to fund local schools and municipal entities has been magnified.  Even at the plant's current low assessed value the school district alone stands to lose over $1.2 million in revenue if the plant closes.  And that doesn't take into account local jobs and spending the plant generates.

About once a week I check the PSC's Web site to make sure I haven't missed anything beyond what have become routine salvos between the plant owners and opponents to their repowering plan.  The silence from Albany has been deafening.

The only good answer for Lansing is a go-ahead to repower the plant.  At this stage, however, no answer is actually worse than a decision to close the plant.  The school district, town and county need to be able to plan for whatever is going to happen in the most informed way possible.  With such a big chunk of revenue up in the air, there is no way they can do so.

It's time to open the box.

v11i21