New York State study says more power plants needed

ALBANY, NEW YORK - The state needs to build power plants to supply electricity for the equivalent of about 300,000 homes by 2008, yet it hasn't yet passed a law to streamline regulations to assure they will be built, according to a report issued recently.

The report from the organization that regulates the wholesale market for electricity in New York estimates that the state needs to build new plants to supply 3,000 more megawatts on top of the 33,000 megawatts available now. A large plant, like each of the two Indian Point nuclear-powered units in Buchanan, Westchester County, supplies about 1,000 megawatts.

"New York's need for energy has grown while our ability to supply it has not," said Assembly Minority Leader Charles Nesbitt, R-Albion, Orleans County, who plans to try to force the Democrat-led Assembly to vote on a bill today to ease the siting process.

The state's law governing pow er-plant construction expired at the end of 2002, and lawmakers have not agreed on a new one.

Meanwhile, the report from the Independent System Operator, which monitors the electric markets in the state, estimates the state's demand for power will grow at about 1 percent to 2 percent a year, according to those who have seen the report. So more power generation is needed to assure an adequate supply.

"The failure of the governor and the Legislature to come to an agreement is raising alarms and is cause for concern," said Gavin Donohue, head of the state Association of Independent Power Producers.