Greens who fought Indian Point angry that NYPA peaker runs more since it closed
In my quick writeup of the New York Power Authority’s transition plan for its New York City peaker plants, I mentioned a juicy tidbit but didn’t provide more info: Environmental groups opposed to one of NYPA’s peakers in the Bronx are also angry that it runs more often since the Indian Point nuclear power plant shut down.
Wait, aren’t the environmental groups the reason IP shut down in the first place? So if they’re angry that NYPA’s Harlem River Yards peaker ran more often in the wake of its closure, does that mean they are now realizing what a huge mistake it was? Is there an admission of guilt?
No! Of course not!
In a 2023 comment filed in opposition to the state renewing HRY’s air permit, a constellation of environmental groups and local politicians argued the HRY peaker was being run like a regular power plant, not a rarely used peaker in times of need, and that NYPA was therefore creating undue harm to the area residents.
They write in the comment: “The chart below shows a comprehensive picture of how HRY’s operations have increased significantly since 2018, and particularly in the last two years." Emphasis mine. Here’s that chart, from page 8, whose title indicates what was special in those last two years but which isn't mentioned in the text anywhere: “Peak Power Plants in the South Bronx are Operating Far More Frequently Since Closure of Indian Point Units 2 and 3, Exposing Area Residents to Even More Pollution.” Again, emphasis mine.
There’s no other mention of Indian Point or how the loss of the city’s nuclear power supply led to HRY -- and other, older, dirtier plants -- running more often.
Multiple groups on this letter supported Indian Point’s closure. As far as I know, none of them have admitted that the closure was a mistake. But one environmental group on this letter stands out as shameless hucksters: Riverkeeper, who led the charge against Indian Point for many years, thanks to chief prosecuting attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. See my 2022 Jacobin feature for more on that.
I’ll make an updated version of that chart soon. UPDATE: See this post for the analysis of all the NYPA peakers in the city.