Latest news with #PowerAuthority
New York Post
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Hochul admits New York needs nuclear power — but getting it won't be easy
Good news: Gov. Kathy Hochul has tapped the New York State Power Authority to build the first major new US nuclear power plant in over 15 years. Bad news: New York's history of politicians pandering to anti-nuke hysteria will scare off a lot of potential private 'partners' on building the one-gigawatt plant. After all, it's just four years since then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo forced the early closure of Indian Point — and four decades since then-Gov. Mario Cuomo killed the $6 billion Shoreham nuke plant before it even opened. Hochul has belatedly recognized reality: New York has no hope of coming near meeting any of its clean-energy goals without nuclear power — and indeed is already hard-pressed for enough generating capacity to meet the natural growth in electric demands. For example, Micron's New York semiconductor plant will require massive amounts of reliable electricity, potentially 1.85 gigawatts at full capacity — enough to power half a million homes. The windmills and solar power plants pushed by the state Climate Action Plan can never meet that need. Yet nuke plants take a long time to build, and getting the state-of-the-art modular reactor Hochul envisions is a lot harder than calling for it. The Cuomos' anti-nuke actions — Long Islanders are still paying for Shoreham, while Indian Point had supplied 25% of the electricity needed for the city and Westchester — ensure that any company will demand a huge risk premium before investing a dime in building a nuke plant in the Empire State. Which is why Hochul left the door open to the Power Authority footing the bills itself — without mentioning this means taxpayer support and/or stiff new fees on utility bills. She also didn't mention that, since any new nuclear plant is 15 or so years off, the state's going to need new carbon-fueled power plants in the meantime, pushing the Climate Act's goals even further out of reach. Consider it all just a few more reasons we all have the Cuomo clan to thank for a huge chunk of New York's deep 'affordability' problems.
Washington Post
23-06-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
New York governor seeks to build the state's first new nuclear power plant in decades
NEW YORK — New York's governor on Monday proposed the construction of the state's first new nuclear power plant in decades. Gov. Kathy Hochul directed the state's power authority to develop an advanced, 'zero-emission' facility in upstate New York that she hopes will help create a clean, reliable and affordable electric grid for the state.
New York Post
16-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
This lights-out fire sale is another grim reminder of Andrew Cuomo's expensive ego
In another reminder of Andrew Cuomo's excesses, the New York Power Authority is doing a quiet fire sale to recoup a fraction of the nine figures it spent on special bridge lighting at the then-gov's behest. Yes, the vast light displays Cuomo envisioned would have looked cool, but nobody else across New York government thought it worth the expense and trouble — so the scheme aborted after a host of scandals forced the gov from office. Cuomo had used his power to push the Power Authority into financing the 'investment'; it's since been stuck also paying some $300,000 a year in storage costs, bringing to the total tab of the bridge-light project to $108 million. And now it's belatedly auctioning off the lights, hoping it can at least recover a few pennies on the dollar. Stuck covering the loss (as they must also pay for many of the impossible green-energy schemes Cuomo mandated in pursuit of his national ambitions) are the Power Authority's long-suffering customers. This was hardly the only Cuomo vanity project; he 'gave' (you paid) New York a $15 million 'film hub' that the state wound up selling off for $1; a $90 million lightbulb factory that never opened; $30 million in Andrew-designed tunnel-tile mosaics, plans for a pointless $2 billion AirTrain and so much more. His host of 'AndyLand' projects burned at least $10 billion in taxpayer money. Remarkably, the ex-gov is not the very worst candidate for mayor this year, but that's still no reason for anyone to hail him as the city's savior.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NY auctions off unused decorative lights in $100 million Cuomo boondoggle
The lights have finally gone out on this project. In an extraordinary fire sale, the state Power Authority is auctioning off a huge storehouse of unused decorative bridge lights — which were supposed to be part of a $106 million project to brighten up the city's spans by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but which never got installed. With a minimum bid of just $25, the lights are only expected to fetch pennies on the dollar — and leave the state out a massive amount of cash for the failed lighting project, officials told The Post of the sale, which was was first reported by Politico. Cuomo announced the 'New York Harbor Crossings Project' in 2017, which was supposed to slap multi-colored light fixtures on all nine MTA bridges and tunnels, along with the Port Authority's Hudson River crossings and the Thruway Authority's Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. Critics lampooned the decorative lighting show as an unnecessary vanity project, at a time when breakdowns in transit service caused what was dubbed 'the summer of hell.' Facing outrage over a declining subway service, Cuomo suspended the bridge lights program after buying $106 million worth of the lights and equipment, putting them in storage. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York. The bulbs have been gathering dust in storage for eight years after Cuomo promised the harbor light show would 'blow people away.' NYPA has paid about $300,000 a year in storage costs, bringing to the total tab of the bridge light project to $108 million. The unused lights became an orphan, after Cuomo resigned as governor amid sexual misconduct accusations he denies. MTA senior management, which had more pressing problems, wanted nothing to do with the light show. 'We have tried to repurpose these lights. Despite these efforts to identify new uses across the state, demand was not what was expected, so the next logical step is to auction the lights,' said NYPA spokeswoman Linday Kryzak. Transit advocates and government watchdogs said the light show boondoggle calls into question the claims by Cuomo and his backers that he's a good manager. 'Andrew Cuomo can talk about building big stuff but he's noted for boondoggles that allowed transit service for millions of people to slide toward a cliff,' said Danny Pearlstein, spokesman for the NYC Riders Alliance. It's not the only arguably wasteful project pushed by Cuomo. As The Post reported, he also ordered the MTA to burn as much as $30 million to retile two city tunnels — the Brooklyn Battery and Queens Midtown — in the state's blue-and-gold color scheme, instead of using the dough for desperately needed subway repairs. The agency originally ordered white tiles. 'This is a guy whose supporters tell us is a management genius. This bridge light project was a boondoggle, debacle and fiasco rolled into one,' said John Kaehny, executive director of the watchdog group Reinvent Albany. 'Cuomo stuck taxpayers with this gigantic bill. It was government by ego, by whimSometimes you make mistakes when managing during a crisis. This was premeditated mismanagement,' he said. Cuomo's campaign declined to comment. Gov. Kathy Hochul — who was lieutenant governor at the time — also declined to comment.
New York Post
10-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
NY auctions off unused decorative lights in $100 million Cuomo boondoggle
The lights have finally gone out on this project. In an extraordinary fire sale, the state Power Authority is auctioning off a huge storehouse of unused decorative bridge lights — which were supposed to be part of a $106 million project to brighten up the city's spans by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but which never got installed. With a minimum bid of just $25, the lights are only expected to fetch pennies on the dollar — and leave the state out a massive amount of cash for the failed lighting project, officials told The Post of the sale, which was was first reported by Politico. Advertisement 5 In an extraordinary fire sale, the state Power Authority is auctioning off a huge storehouse of unused decorative bridge lights. AP Cuomo announced the 'New York Harbor Crossings Project' in 2017, which was supposed to slap multi-colored light fixtures on all nine MTA bridges and tunnels, along with the Port Authority's Hudson River crossings and the Thruway Authority's Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. Critics lampooned the decorative lighting show as an unnecessary vanity project, at a time when breakdowns in transit service caused what was dubbed 'the summer of hell.' Advertisement Facing outrage over a declining subway service, Cuomo suspended the bridge lights program after buying $106 million worth of the lights and equipment, putting them in storage. 5 The lights were supposed to be part of a $106 million project to brighten up the city's spans by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but which never got installed. William Farrington Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York. The bulbs have been gathering dust in storage for eight years after Cuomo promised the harbor light show would 'blow people away.' Advertisement NYPA has paid about $300,000 a year in storage costs, bringing to the total tab of the bridge light project to $108 million. The unused lights became an orphan, after Cuomo resigned as governor amid sexual misconduct accusations he denies. MTA senior management, which had more pressing problems, wanted nothing to do with the light show. 5 Critics lampooned the decorative lighting show as an unnecessary vanity project, at a time when breakdowns in transit service in that was dubbed 'the summer of hell.' AP 'We have tried to repurpose these lights. Despite these efforts to identify new uses across the state, demand was not what was expected, so the next logical step is to auction the lights,' said NYPA spokeswoman Linday Kryzak. Advertisement Transit advocates and government watchdogs said the light show boondoggle calls into question the claims by Cuomo and his backers that he's a good manager. 'Andrew Cuomo can talk about building big stuff but he's noted for boondoggles that allowed transit service for millions of people to slide toward a cliff,' said Danny Pearlstein, spokesman for the NYC Riders Alliance. 5 NYPA has paid about $300,000 a year in storage costs, bringing to the total tab of the bridge light project to $108 million. STEPHEN YANG It's not the only arguably wasteful project pushed by Cuomo. As The Post reported, he also ordered the MTA to burn as much as $30 million to retile two city tunnels — the Brooklyn Battery and Queens Midtown — in the state's blue-and-gold color scheme, instead of using the dough for desperately needed subway repairs. The agency originally ordered white tiles. 5 Transit advocates and government watchdogs said the light show boondoggle calls into question the claims by Cuomo and his backers that he's a good manager. STEPHEN YANG 'This is a guy whose supporters tell us is a management genius. This bridge light project was a boondoggle, debacle and fiasco rolled into one,' said John Kaehny, executive director of the watchdog group Reinvent Albany. 'Cuomo stuck taxpayers with this gigantic bill. It was government by ego, by whim Sometimes you make mistakes when managing during a crisis. This was premeditated mismanagement,' he said. Advertisement Cuomo's campaign declined to comment. Gov. Kathy Hochul — who was lieutenant governor at the time — also declined to comment.
