ALBANY, New York — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration wants to keep New York’s aging upstate nuclear plants online for decades to come.
The Department of Public Service proposed extending the current subsidy program for Constellation’s four nuclear reactors from the current end date of 2029 through 2049. The payments would come from ratepayers and could cost more than $30 billion, according to one estimate from a group opposed to the program. The state estimates it would cost about half that amount.
“We really need to ask ourselves, as a state, whether this is a good use of our money and if the opportunity costs are worth it,” said Jessica Azulay, executive director of the Alliance for a Green Economy.
Why it matters: Supporters of keeping the nuclear plants online say it’s a good deal for emissions-free power to meet growing energy demand. New York’s 2019 climate law requires a zero-emissions grid by 2040, although the state doesn’t have a definitive plan to meet that goal.
