LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION calling for prompt and immediate action by the
New York Power Authority to prepare, issue and ratify long-term power
purchase agreements with producers of renewable and sustainable base-
load electrical energy to enhance New York State's economic well-being;
reduce New York State's dependence on imported fossil fuels including
coal and petroleum and improve the environmental and ecological quality
of life across the Empire State

WHEREAS, It was the specific intent of this Legislative Body, when we
authorized the economic development programs of the New York Power
Authority to ensure that the best interests of all New York citizens
were served by the New York Power Authority's legislatively mandated and
authorized ability to subsidize economic power production to stimulate
and sustain employment and economic vitality; and
WHEREAS, Scientific research by the State University of New York
College of Environmental Science and Forestry details that the present
size of the entire New York State forest exceeds 18,500,000 acres and
that forest is expanding through non-harvested use at 300 times present
use; and
WHEREAS, Further New York State energy use research proves that the
State of New York imports more than $2,500.00 worth of non-New York
energy into New York every year for every man, woman and child in the
State; and
WHEREAS, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has
praised and lauded Catalyst Renewables' Lewis County Lyonsdale Biomass
Plant Sustainable Forest Management Plan for its effectiveness in creat-
ing the healthiest working forest in New York State while supplying
biomass slash, trimmings and residuals to produce 19 MWe of home-grown
sustainable, renewable, and CO2-neutral base load power in compliance
with the New York State Renewable Portfolio Standard for New York
consumers; and
WHEREAS, New York Power Authority in its focused enthusiasm to advance
future higher cost off-shore wind and northern latitude solar-electric
projects has significantly ignored the vital community benefits from the
potential of immediate community economic development and opportunity to
garner tens of millions of federal American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act Section 1603 cash grants in lieu of production tax credits by simply
making power purchase agreements, which would enable construction of
base-load home-grown sustainable, renewable, and CO2-neutral biomass
power plants in New York able to rely on the ample, proven home-grown
New York biomass resource and not foreign and non-New York fossil fuels;
and
WHEREAS, Existing operations of plants like Lyonsdale Biomass and
projections for potential plants like the 35MWe Onondaga Renewables in
Geddes, New York, 38MWe Black River Biomass at Ft. Drum, New York, and
other projects forecast about 26 full-time, permanent for the life of
the power purchase agreement, power plant operator jobs per facility and
upwards of 125-150 full-time, permanent for the life of the power
purchase agreement, men and women in the biomass supply and logistics
pipeline working year end and year out per facility to manufacture heat
and power for New York consumers and generating between $21,000,000 to
$25,000,000 in direct local expenditures generally within 50-miles of
the facility; and
WHEREAS, As an unfortunate by-product of power deregulation in New
York, only authorities like the New York Power Authority and the Long
Island Power Authority possess the legislative authority and structural
wherewithal to make the long-term power purchase agreements required for

biomass plant developers to secure private finance for construction of
these vital base-load home-grown sustainable, renewable, and CO2-neutral
biomass power plants in New York, which create such economic vitality,
energy independence and environmental and ecological quality of life;
and
WHEREAS, The New York Power Authority is subject by law to the author-
izations and oversight of this Legislative Body acting for and on behalf
of all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
remind and instruct the New York Power Authority of their economic
development mission, which must be practical and benefit all the citi-
zens of this great Empire State; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body most strongly urges and directs
the New York Power Authority to find an immediate pathway from among
their variety of economic development authorizations from this Chamber
to negotiate and issue long-term power purchase contracts for base-load
home-grown sustainable, renewable, and CO2-neutral biomass power plants
in New York and to report in person to this Legislative Body no later
than July 15, 2010, about an acceptable plan and solution for this
Legislative Body's mandate; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Richard Kessell, President of New York Power Authority, Alba-
ny and White Plains, New York.