Buchanan, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Dana Levenberg announced today that they have introduced legislation (S.9617A/ A.10949) in their respective chambers to extend the electric generation facility cessation mitigation program to assist counties, municipalities, school districts and special districts with the closure of electric generation facilities like the now-decommissioned Indian Point nuclear plant for another five years. 

This legislation would allow those impacted entities grappling with significant property tax revenue reductions to receive financial assistance for up to five years.

“The costly financial situation for towns and schools that have depended on substantial tax revenue from Indian Point requires as much help from the state as possible,” said Harckham. “The cessation mitigation fund has given municipalities and schools some breathing room, but the out years of the program are fast approaching. Extending the program will help alleviate the burden on taxpayers and give local officials more resources to work with.”

“Closing Indian Point has made our communities safer, but it has also meant a big loss in tax dollars, particularly for the Hendrick Hudson School District,” said Levenberg. “I will continue working with my colleagues at all levels of government to find ways to fill that gap, starting with extending the duration of the cessation fund.”

The cessation mitigation fund, authorized as part of the FY2018-2019 State Budget and paid for through a surcharge on utility bills, is meant to help protect local taxpayers from future financial hardships caused by the closing of big electric generation plants. When Indian Point shut its doors, a number of municipal entities in the impacted area, including the Town of Cortlandt, Hendrick Hudson School District and the Hendrick Hudson Free Library, were eligible for assistance, along with the Village of Buchanan.

When Indian Point closed in 2021, the school district lost millions of dollars of revenue and Buchanan lost 50% of the funds to run the village. In the intervening years, the fund has been a vital lifeline. The fund contributed more than $15 million to the affected local governments alone in 2025.  

Entergy, the parent owner of the Indian Point Energy Center, shut down the remaining two nuclear reactors in use back in 2020 and 2021 as part of a 2017 settlement with New York State based on legal disputes concerning environmental and safety issues. Low natural gas prices and declining revenue from electric generation also factored into Entergy’s decision to decommission the nuclear energy facility.

With the program set to expire in 2028, the two legislators agreed that it was necessary to introduce their bill (S.9617A/ A.10949) to extend the length of the program by five years. The bill was amended recently because the underlying statute that needed to be changed was in the unconsolidated section of laws.

Cortlandt Town Supervisor Dr.  Richard Becker said, “As Supervisor of the Town of Cortlandt, the host community for the Hendrick Hudson School District, I strongly support and thank State Senator Harckham and Assemblywoman Levenberg for progressing the Cessation Fund Extension Bill. The closure of the Indian Point nuclear plant and subsequent transfer of ownership to Holtec caused the Hendrick Hudson School District to lose $32 million annually. It is easy to see that the school district is being hurt as an innocent bystander. Residents of the Town of Cortlandt are facing up to an 8% increase in school taxes. This is simply unaffordable to this community. By extending the well justified cessation funding from five to twelve years, the school district can raise school taxes in an incremental stepwise fashion, allowing the school district to remain intact, and the community to remain healthy and affordable.”

Buchanan Mayor Theresa Knickerbocker said, “The Village of Buchanan is still dealing with the effects of the closure of Indian Point and continues to face significant losses over the coming years. We appreciate the Legislation that Senator Harckham and Assemblywoman Levenberg are introducing to extend the New York State Cessation Fund.”

Hendrick Hudson School District Superintendent Michael Tromblee said, “We are grateful to Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg and Senator Pete Harckham for their continued leadership and support on behalf of the Hendrick Hudson School District and our affected communities. Their efforts have been instrumental in helping us navigate the financial impact of the Indian Point closure. We look forward to learning more about the details of this proposal and are hopeful as it moves through the legislative process. We appreciate their continued partnership and focus on supporting communities like ours.”