Byrnes Urges Cuomo to Rethink Energy Projects

An op-ed from Assemblywoman Marjorie Byrnes (R,C-Caledonia)

March 24, 2020

In these times of crisis and with the April 1 deadline quickly approaching, Albany should be focused on a bare-bones budget. Still, I fear that the governor will try to push unnecessary policy when money should be strictly allocated to keep our economy running. In his budget, Gov. Cuomo has proposed a measure that would give the state total control over the process of siting power plants. Throughout my district and all of upstate, residents will be told what will work best for them with the addition of new solar and wind plants. This dangerous provision would overhaul the entire process of developing and approving large renewable energy projects that local siting boards normally go through.

Gov. Cuomo is giving the state the ability to decide where to put plants, the size of the plants and who the developers will be for large-scale energy projects. If you ask me, that’s not democracy. The governor’s proposal to meet self-imposed state emission goals by removing local input is dictatorial. In this latest power grab, local municipalities and residents will be silenced. The necessary input from the people who will be affected most will be eliminated.

In addition to eliminating siting boards, the state will gain the ability to determine property assessments for energy sites. Local municipalities will have no say, and assessments could lead to lower taxes, which would, in turn, largely affect our communities. The governor might as well be telling you to forget your local laws; they don’t matter, only the state’s agenda is important. This is untrue- the state’s well-being is the only thing that matters right now.

My biggest concern with this provision is the power the state is gaining. There is no disputing that we are all concerned about the climate and want to do what we can to support the environment. But the question is: does this provision have anything to do with a budget to immediately provide relief to New Yorkers? Will this increased state power lead to property being seized by eminent domain in the future? Will everything be produced upstate for the benefit of downstate?

Sorry, governor, but upstate voices matter. Local governments matter and the people matter most of all. This accelerated effort to eliminate siting boards is not in our best interest.

I am strongly urging the governor to reconsider his provision. Bypassing local involvement because the current energy siting process is inefficient is not the right reaction. We must instead work to assign local appointees to a panel tasked with important renewable energy decisions before we move forward with these projects.