Buchanan, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Dana Levenberg, along with other elected officials, educators and advocates from the Hendrick Hudson School District, called today on Governor Hochul to sign legislation that will extend the electric generation facility cessation mitigation program for another five years to help fund counties, municipalities, school districts and special districts.

The announcement took place at Buchanan-Verplanck Elementary School, where more than a dozen kindergarten students with a handmade “thank you” banner greeted the legislators and other guests. To see a video of the press conference, click here.

A number of school districts and local governments continue to face significant reductions in tax revenue from local power plant closures, like the decommissioning of the Indian Point nuclear plant, which has impacted the Hendrick Hudson School District. Harckham and Levenberg’s bill (S9617A / A10949) will ensure that transitional funding assistance remains in place.

“The costly financial situation for towns and schools that have depended on substantial tax revenue from Indian Point and similar electric generating plants requires as much help from the state as possible,” said Harckham. “The cessation mitigation fund has given municipalities and schools some breathing room, but with the out year of the program fast approaching we need to extend the program and continue to alleviate the burden on taxpayers and give local officials more resources to work with. I thank Assemblymember Levenberg for partnering with me on the bill and hope Governor Hochul will sign it soon.”

“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. “Senator Harckham and I worked very hard to get the extension of the Cessation Fund passed through our respective houses in the Legislature, because we know how important these funds are to this community. I urge the Governor to sign this legislation into law as soon as possible.”

Hendrick Hudson School District Superintendent Michael Tromblee said, “There are moments when elected leaders have an opportunity to make a real difference for students, and this is one of those moments. We’re incredibly grateful to Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Dana Levenberg for their persistent advocacy and leadership in moving this legislation forward. We’re also thankful to Senator Shelley Mayer for her continued support—including taking the time to visit our schools with Senator Harckham just last week—and to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for helping bring this effort across the finish line in the Legislature. This legislation won’t erase all of the financial challenges created by the closure of Indian Point, but it will make a meaningful difference for our students, our schools, and our taxpayers.”

Tromblee continued, “We respectfully urge Governor Hochul to sign this legislation into law so these much-needed resources can continue supporting our students and community. This is an important milestone, but it is not the final chapter. We look forward to continuing our work with our state legislative partners while also pursuing the federal solutions that remain critical to our district’s long-term financial future.”

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 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 then-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 issues. Entergy cited natural gas prices and declining revenue from electric generation in their decision to decommission the nuclear energy facility. The closure of Indian Point was part of a total exit of the merchant power market by Entergy.

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 advancing 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, “Thank you to Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Levenberg for your advocacy and support of the village. The Cessation Fund has been helpful to the village as a bridge to get to where we needed to be, but we were running out of runway. Anytime we need help, the two of you are always there, and it is much appreciated. This money means a lot to the Village of Buchanan.”

Amelia Silverman, president of the Board of Education for Hendrick Hudson Central School District, said, “The legislation extending the Electric Generation Facility Cessation Mitigation Fund is essential to protecting our students, taxpayers, and school district from the lasting financial effects of the Indian Point closure. This support provides stability for our schools and community while we continue to adapt to the loss of a major source of local revenue. We thank Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Levenberg for their leadership in securing its passage and urge Governor Hochul to sign this bill into law without delay.”

James Rogulski, Hendrick Hudson Education Association (HHEA) President said, “Pete Harckham and Dana Levenberg are the real deal. As the Hendrick Hudson schools have navigated the loss of 30% of its operating revenue because o the Indian Point closure, they have remained steadfast in securing us funding and advocating for us in Albany. They are genuine leaders with big hearts and unafraid to fight for what is right. We look forward to partnering with them to solidify the finances of this beautiful community and our excellent schools. On behalf of the teachers of the Hendrick Hudson schools, we thank both Pete and Dana.”

Lisa Anderson, PTA Advocacy Committee Co-Chair, Hendrick Hudson High School PTSA, and parent of four Hendrick Hudson High School graduates (with a fifth child set to graduate next week), said, “Thank you Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg for listening to our community and to our needs.  We are grateful for your leadership in getting these bills passed, and for your untiring efforts to help our schools and our community recover from the closure of Indian Point.”

Penny Hine, a longtime Hendrick Hudson School District educator and Political Action Coordinator for the Hendrick Hudson Education Association (and a parent of two Hendrick Hudson schools graduates), said, “I want to thank Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Levenberg for their continued support for the Hendrick Hudson School District. This funding will help keep essential programs and personnel in place to give the students the best educational experience we can. We are grateful for their efforts on our behalf.”

Emiljana Ulaj, Westchester County Legislator representing Indian Point, said, “The financial hit to the Hendrick Hudson School District and the Village of Buchanan from the closure of Indian Point was immediate and severe. Decommissioning a massive nuclear power plant takes decades and replacing that lost revenue doesn’t happen overnight. Extending the Cessation Mitigation Fund provides stakeholders the breathing room we need to plan a sustainable future, rather than being forced into desperate, short-term fiscal fixes. I urge Governor Hochul to sign the bill, and I’m incredibly grateful to Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Levenberg for their relentless advocacy on behalf of our communities.”

Included among the attendees of today’s press conference were Peter McCartt, Director of Energy Conservation and Sustainability, Westchester County; Cortlandt Town Deputy Supervisor James Creighton and Council Members Cristin Jacoby and Joyce White; Town of Cortlandt Receiver of Taxes Debbie Carter; Tamika Dietrich, Vice President of the Board of Education, Hendrick Hudson School District; and Buchanan Deputy Mayor Steven Laker and Village Trustees Awilda Baez and Robert Wheeler.