On October 27, 2021, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the denial of two fracked gas power plant applications. According to Basil Seggos’ Twitter account, the DEC “denied applications for two proposed natural gas power plants- Astoria and Danskammer. Both would be inconsistent with New York’s nation-leading climate law, and are not justified or needed for grid reliability. We must shift to a renewable future.” The CLCPA is the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which states that New York must meet net-zero carbon emissions from its electricity sector by 2040.

The Title V Air Permits for both the Danskammer Power Plant in the Town of Newburgh and the Astoria NRG Power Plant in Queens were denied. The Danskammer project is currently undergoing an Article X application process, which is set to end in August of 2022. This October decision is an important update to inform that process.

NYPIRG commends the actions taken by Commissioner Seggos and the DEC to deny the permits for the proposed Danskammer and Astoria NRG fossil fuel power plants. If approved, Danskammer would have continued to pollute the Hudson Valley for decades to come, and Astoria NRG would have continued to spew air pollution into a community already dubbed “asthma alley.” New York needs to do everything possible to avoid climate catastrophe, and we are glad to see Governor Hochul and the DEC stepping up to the challenge.

This would not have been possible without your support, so thank you!