Statement from Senator Liz Krueger On Governor's Announcement Of Intent To Build New Nuclear Generation

New York City – Senator Liz Krueger released the following statement today following the announcement by Governor Kathy Hochul that she has directed NYPA to begin the planning process for the construction of one or more new nuclear power plants in New York State:

"Building a robust, reliable, modern electric grid with sufficient capacity to affordably transition our economy away from fossil fuels is one of our most important tasks as a state over the next few decades. That is why it’s critical to answer several key questions before any significant public money is committed to developing new nuclear generation:

• Is it the most cost-effective use of our clean energy dollars, or would they be better spent building out proven, genuinely renewable technologies?
• Can the process of planning, siting, and building new facilities be completed in a short enough time frame to have a material impact on our short- and medium-term generation and emissions-reduction needs?
• Can the radioactive material be disposed of in a satisfactory way, or will New Yorkers be stuck dealing with more long-term storage sites like West Valley?
• Is there no alternative to nuclear, or are there other options to address renewable intermittency, like battery storage, pumped hydro, or geothermal storage?
• Can new nuclear be sited with full informed consent from impacted communities and avoid further burdening disadvantaged communities?

"I have yet to see any real-world examples of new nuclear development for which all of these questions can be answered in the affirmative, and I am skeptical that I ever will. I will be keeping a close eye on the process that NYPA is undertaking to ensure that it is thorough, transparent, and unbiased, and responsive to New Yorkers’ input."