New York Times article on Authority clean air projects, undated

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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2rv] QBi clean R. ir projects Odd T',' By WARREN WOODBERRY Jr, I .. ; X OMiy NEWS STAff WRITER The New York Power Authority has agreed to fund $2 million in clean air projects for local communities to re­ duce their dependency on electricity through efficient en- ergy consumption. The funding is part of a land­ an emissions reduction project at

ft: mark settlement between the state Battery Park. and environmental groups. It also “Everybody knows that the air calls for NYPA to construct a new quality in northwest Queens is the energy efficient power plant at the worst,” said Ken Colburn, execu­ Astoria site of the existing Charles tive director of the Northeast Poletti power plant, which is sched­ States Clean Air Foundation/Clean uled to be shut down, perhaps as Air Communities. “We resolved to soon as 2008. change that situation.” In the interim, the clean air ‘A big victory’ projects are designed to help home and business owners lower their Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. electrical needs through alterna­ (D-Astoria) yesterday applauded tive energy sources, such as solar the plan to close the Poletti facility, energypower. which he called the dirtiest power The program fulfills a commit­ plant in the city. An X ment Gov. Pataki made to people in “We have one of the highest asth­ northwest Queens. ma rates in Queens.” said Vallone, “Today we take a major step in a co-founder of C.H.O.K.E. - the fillfilling that commitment,’’ said Coalition Helping Organize a 1 Meaner Environment. “This agree­ NYPA President and CEO Eugene Zeltman. “Now we’re reaching out ment is a big victory for people.” to those who know best, members Vallone said that while the new of the community.” power plant will be much cleaner g if..; f' - B iit, ____________ tip* Announced last fall, the clean air than the existing one, he reiterat­ initiative will be coordinated ed that northwest Queens is over­ i Is- . through Clean Air Communities, a saturated with energy providers, who supply 60% of New York i ) I- L* program sponsored by the North­ east States Clean Air Foundation and Northeast States for Coordinat­ ed Air Use Management. City’s ener^. As part of the agreement, the 26-year-old Poletti plant will re­ Clean Air Communities already duce its dependency on oil and in­ SUSAN* BATES has implemented several energy ef­ crease its use of natural gas in the LANDMARK MOVE Eugene Zeltman, New York Power Authority president, announced that ficient projects throughout the city, short term. The latest it would be such as a commercial rooftop solar taken off-line is 2010, officials the authority will fund $2 million hi clean air presets at a press conference yesterday. array in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and said. rz NYC-WTC_000143480