Archive: Opinions

We the property owners and the public at large need to get behind this project and inform the Public Service Commission of our support to the power plant owners plan to keep this critical source of electric power going for the next several generations of regional power needs in our community.

Here are a few of the many reasons why it is so critical to keep our regional generating capacity going with natural gas rather than submitting to replacement with extensive additional power line distribution systems. Lets look at the matter of real property tax value offered by past, present and future operation of the Cayuga Power Plant. It is not only critical to the property tax assessments in the Town of Lansing but the entire Tompkins County.

For example, in the Town of Ithaca, when I was Town Supervisor in the 1980s, we, together with the City of Ithaca and the Town of Dryden, prepared the financing of the new $30,000,000 Ithaca area waste water plant. Having a large, stable, reliable employer for Milliken Station enabled us to show bond buyers we deserved a AA bond rating for our financing. This kept our debt retirement costs for our users at the minimum. I have no doubt that this asset continues today even though the Cayuga Power Plant assessed value is currently lower. This benefit would not exist if we relied totally on the value of power lines that replaced the power plant.

Another example that I will never forget is the impact of the Arab oil embargo of 1972. As Director of Physical Plant at Cornell, I remember the difficulty we had getting good quality coal to keep the Cornell Central Heating Plant going. This has led to considerable diversification of energy sources including natural gas at the CHP which has resulted in significant improvement to the air quality of our region and reliability of service to the Cornell campus.

This is what the Cayuga Power Plant is proposing to sustain the reliability and environmental improvement we all desire. Our community should not make the mistake of compromising the future of the power plant on the basis of future decisions involving fracking as a possible source of our natural gas. Would opponents of natural gas also demonstrate against all the natural gas services to homes and business in our area? I hope not!

Finally, let’s look at economic development and stability. We have critical manufacturing and research operations in our Community that depends on a reliable source of power. Every day we read about the impact of these activities on our economy including the economic benefits to retail businesses in our community including a stable job base provided by the reliable output of the Cayuga Power Plant. For example in the July 11 article of the Ithaca Journal we learn about Governor Cuomo’s plan for “Start Up” New York a major economic development plan that would not even be considered if we didn’t have the reliable power source in our community provided by Cayuga Power Plant. An extensive addition of power grid would be no substitute for this generating capacity we have and need right here in our community. Let’s not lose this vital asset to our community and the region!

Noel Desch
Lansing
Life Member
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce

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