The Dunkirk Economic Impact Analysis
is now available!


The study shows significant ratepayer, jobs and economic benefits from repowering Dunkirk as a combined-cycle plant.
For a copy of the study, click here.
For a copy of the news release, click here.

THE COALITION TO SUPPORT RELIABLE POWER, JOBS AND
THE "ENERGY HIGHWAY" IN WESTERN NEW YORK

PowerUpWNY (Power Up Western New York) is a coalition of business, labor, educational and civic groups focused on supporting smart, long-term energy projects in Western New York.

We support Governor Cuomo’s plan to build an "Energy Highway," which would connect the energy generating capacity of Western New York with downstate communities in need of reliable energy sources. As the Governor said in his 2012 State of the State message, expanding New York’s energy infrastructure is key to powering the state’s economic growth.

As part of that effort, PowerUpWNY strongly backs a plan to repower the 625 MW coal-fueled power plant in Dunkirk, NY with modern and efficient combined-cycle technology.

Repowering the Dunkirk plant will:

  • Preserve local jobs at the site in the near-term, provide up to 500 jobs during the 36-month construction cycle, and retain more than two dozen long-term jobs after the plant is commissioned.
  • Ensure a stable and predictable tax base in Chautauqua County and Dunkirk for years to come.
  • Generate dramatically cleaner energy and improve air quality in Western New York by significantly reducing all major emissions, including:
    • Mercury reduced by 100%
    • Sulfur Dioxide reduced by 99%
    • Nitrogen Oxides reduced by 98%
    • Particulates reduced by 83%
    • Greenhouse gases reduced by 73%
  • Improve reliability by alleviating the need for many costly transmission upgrades and creating a best-in-class electricity generation resource for Western NY.
  • Increase efficiency by using state-of-the art combined-cycle units that can ramp up quickly and “load follow” as demand rises and falls on the system.
  • Provide support for other renewable generation assets, especially wind power in Western New York. The intermittent nature of wind resources can be a challenge for Western New York grid operators, and the repowered Dunkirk plant will help stabilize the grid when wind resources are unpredictable.

NRG Energy Inc. has proposed converting the existing Dunkirk coal facility to a combined-cycle plant with the generating capacity of approximately 440 MW — enough to power approximately 350,000 average homes. The project would be completed in two phases. In Phase I, the company will build gas infrastructure at the existing plant, enabling it to operate on both coal and natural gas. At the same time, NRG will begin construction of the combined cycle facility. In Phase II, construction will be completed and the new combined-cycle plant will start using the gas infrastructure in place of the current, outdated coal units.

In the media and in public statements, NRG has said it needs a contract or a Power Purchase Agreement, sometimes abbreviated as a PPA, in order to repower the Dunkirk plant. All this means is that some organization, typically a utility such as National Grid or NYPA, as part of their ongoing energy procurement activity, would purchase the electrical output of the plant for a certain number of years. The projected cost of repowering the Dunkirk plant, up to $500 million, would be borne by NRG alone, not by ratepayers or taxpayers.

The members of PowerUpWNY are working together to advocate for a sensible energy agenda for the state, one in which Western NY and its people play a key role.

The Coalition announced its formation and inaugural membership in a news release on July 12, 2012. Please visit the members page of this web site for a complete list of Coalition members, news about our efforts, and more information about the Dunkirk project.

For a fact sheet on the project, click here.

Environmental improvements from the project

Tell us what you think at feedback@PowerUpWNY.org