At a stop at the Niagara Power Project in Lewiston Monday morning, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced her intentions to build a new nuclear power plant in upstate New York.
The governor touted the project as a way to provide clean power for ratepayers not subject to turbulent oil prices, create 1,600 jobs during construction with 1,200 resulting from the facility going online, and attract manufacturing companies looking to have a presence in the state.
“Harnessing the power of the atom is the best way to generate steady, zero-emission electricity,” Hochul said. “We want to have the transition from fossil fuels. I’m committed to it.”
It would be the first new nuclear build in the state since the construction of Nine Mile Point Unit 2 in Oswego County in 1975. The state’s three current plants, including the James A. Fitzpatrick plant also in Oswego County and the R.E. Ginna plant in Ontario County, generate 20% of the state’s electricity, or enough power for just under four million homes.
The New York Power Authority will work in coordination with the Department of Public Service on developing this plant, aimed to have a combined capacity of at least 1 gigawatt of power, enough to power one million homes. The agencies will either work on their own or in partnership with private entities.
No potential locations, costs, or timelines were disclosed. NYPA will start soliciting and evaluating potential locations along with technologies and business models.
NYPA President John Driscoll said they were looking at all the technologies being developed, calling it a very dynamic market right now.
“We’re going to be quickly moving with a solicitation out to the public or those communities that are interested, or technologies that might be suggested by vendors as well as potential financial partners,” Driscoll said.
Hochul and NYPA had been in talks about the potential for a new reactor for the past year, with new advanced manufacturing facilities and artificial intelligence centers driving demand for new electricity generation. In January, she announced the development of a Master Plan for Responsible Advanced Nuclear Development in the state.
She even brought up conversations she had with President Trump about how to get projects like this online sooner. The president had signed executive orders in May meant to increase the deployment of new nuclear reactors.
“To maintain and grow manufacturing and expand our overall economy, we need more power on the grid,” said Todd Tranum, director of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier. “The safety advancements in nuclear technology, low operating costs, reliability and zero carbon emissions make it a viable choice for the overall energy production portfolio of New York State.”
Critics of nuclear power point to the safety risks and high costs. The Indian Point plant in Westchester County, formerly operated by NYPA, was fully decommissioned in 2021 due to safety concerns.
Earlier this year, North Tonawanda passed a local law declaring it a nuclear-free zone after Digihost, the operators of a crypto mine on Erie Avenue, proposed having a miniature reactor there to power it.
Public Power NY, which has urged NYPA to build out at least 15 GW of public renewable power in accordance with the state climate mandate, said this action shows the governor is not following through on those goals. They have been critical of state plans to only build three GW worth of renewables.
“After appointing a Republic to lead NYPA while remaining silent on its mandate to build wind and solar, Hochul’s decision to step in based on promises from Donald Trump shows just how unserious she is about New Yorker’s energy bills and climate future,” the statement from Public Power NY reads. “NYPA should be laser-focused on rapidly scaling up their buildout of affordable solar and wind which is the only way to meet the state’s science-based climate goals and lower energy bills.”