Building New Power Plants
In 1999, New York State's Siting Law, which creates the review process for proposed power plants, was enacted over the objections of NYPIRG and other members of the environmental and public health communities. The goal of the legislation was to create a streamlined process for approving power plant construction, which runs roughshod over the public and will lead to more pollution.
On January 1, 2003, this law expired, providing a much-needed opportunity to revise the process to allow for meaningful public participation, a proper environmental and public health review and mitigation of pollution from generating electricity.
The funds given to community groups need to be expanded and increased to include legal fees. One of the largest barriers community groups face is that many do not have the legal expertise, and often face a team of industry lawyers that use legal techniques and technicalities to limit their ability to participate in the process. Unfortunately, lawyers are often expensive, which is why funding legal representation is key for adequate public participation.
The review process to understand the environmental and public health impacts must adequately represent the potential effects. Certain communities are being inundated with multiple proposals to build power plants, but the Siting Review Board continually ignores this issue. The burdens facing host communities are also inadequately addressed, which is why the review process must include an environmental justice analysis, which include the cumulative impacts of existing and proposed sources of pollution.
In order to address the inadequacies of the federal
Clean Air Act, New York should establish comprehensive modern emissions standards for existing and proposed facilities and then pressure the federal government to do the same. These regulations must require power plants to reduce
nitrogen oxides and
sulfur dioxide emissions by 75%, cut mercury emissions by 90%, and cap carbon dioxide emissions at at least 7% below 1990 levels by 2007.
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Background 
Impacts of Power Plant Pollution Efficiency and Conservation
Renewable Energy
Building New Power Plants Green Electricity
Federal Energy Issues Clean Air Enforcement Project support NYPIRG
