Governor Cuomo Pull The Plug on CPV: Defend NYS Authority over the Clean Water Act

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

The CPV Valley Power plant is a massive 650 Megawatt fracked-gas power plant that is under construction right now in Orange County, New York by Competitive Power Ventures and Global Infrastructure Partners, a joint venture of Credit Suisse and General Electric.

The plant would be one of the largest in the State of New York and climate scientists say it would create a climate emergency.  It would lock us into fracked-gas dependency for the next 40 years and put lower Manhattan under water.

CPV would require thousands of new fracking wells in neighboring Pennsylvania over its lifetime; and according to Cornell University scientist, Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, it will increase the entire state's green house gas emissions from the power sector by "in excess of ten percent". He says it will be impossible for New York to meet its climate goals if this plant becomes operational.  Another Cornell scientist, Dr. Robert Howarth, says that methane in the atmosphere is skyrocketing and this is likely due to fracking. Methane is 86 times worse for climate change than carbon dioxide.  

In 2014 Governor Cuomo banned fracking citing risks to public health, yet that same year the state issued several approvals for the CPV Valley Energy Center. He said no to fracking but a big YES to fracked gas.

The project also necessitates a vast network of infrastructure such as pipelines and compressor stations that are devastating communities all along its path. Health impacts have already been documented, people are being forced from their homes, some are even threatened with eminent domain.

Critical state natural resources are also at risk including the Delaware Watershed, The Wallkill River Watershed, federal and state wetlands, endangered species habitat, protected farmland, (the famed Black Dirt farms), as well as an indigenous burial ground.

But it is not too late to stop this project!

In August the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) denied this last permit, however, in an unprecedented act usurping the authority of the state, FERC overrode NY's denial. Now Cuomo must vigorously defend this denial and its jurisdiction over water quality. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will side with the industry and the courts are a gamble. There is only one way to protect NY's water, its authority under the Clean Water Act, and the climate; that is to rescind the underlying state permits for power plant. So help us tell Cuomo to pull the plug on this corrupt climate and community killing project. Defend NYS authority in court and rescind all state permits for the CPV Valley Power Plant.









Petition by
Philip Valenti
Sunnyside, New York
Sponsored by

To: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
From: [Your Name]

Dear Governor Cuomo:

In 2014 you banned fracking citing risks to public health, yet that same year you issued several state approvals for the massive 650 MW Fracked-Gas power plant in Orange County, the CPV Valley Energy Center. This project will not only require 100-150 new fracking wells per a year in neighboring Pennsylvania and thousands over its lifetime; according to Cornell University scientist, Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, it will increase the entire state's green house gas emissions from the power sector by "in excess of ten percent". He says it will be impossible for New York to meet its climate goals if this plant becomes operational. Another Cornell scientist, Dr. Robert Howarth, says that methane in the atmosphere is skyrocketing and this is likely due to fracking. Methane is 86 times worse for the climate change than carbon dioxide.

This plant also requires a vast network of infrastructure which includes the Minisink Compressor Station, Eastern System Upgrade, and Valley Lateral Pipeline, all of which place enormous risks to several New York communities (including our famed Black Dirt Region), sensitive water resources, farmland, and human health. These related facilities were clearly illegally segmented from the environmental review of the entire project.

Finally now that one former government aide pled guilty to criminal corruption charges and another has been indicted along with a Competitive Power Ventures executive, why has construction been allowed to continue?

It's time to clean up corruption, clean up pollution, and clean up your energy policy.

Listen to the science Governor Cuomo. This plant would lock us into fracked-gas dependency for the next 40 years. This is the wrong direction for New York and this is the wrong direction for the planet.

While we thank you for rejecting the water permit for the lateral pipeline we demand that you 1) vigorously defend the NYS authority over the CWA and 2) pull the plug on CPV by rescinding all state permits based on significant change in the law and state policy amongst many other reasons.