NRG spends $600K on high-powered lobbyists pushing Astoria power plant plan
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The Astoria replacement project site. Image via NRG Energy
By David Brand
Fossil fuel giant NRG Energy has spent over $600,000 on some of New York’s most powerful lobbying firms as it seeks state approval for a natural gas power plant in Astoria, a new watchdog report shows.
NRG, one of the nation’s largest power companies, plans to replace oil-burning infrastructure with natural gas to generate power at the Astoria “peaker” plant, located along the East River. The existing facility pumps pollutants into the atmosphere as it generates extra electricity when power use surges in New York City, like during heatwaves.
The corporation needs state Department of Environmental Conservation approval to proceed with the Astoria Replacement Project and has paid the firms Constantinople & Vallone; James F. Capalino & Associates; and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips at least $585,000 to lobby on its behalf, according to a report compiled by the nonprofit think tank LittleSis.
Since 2019, NRG has paid Capalino $215,000 to lobby for the project. “Capalino’s role in the Astoria Replacement project is to assist NRG with its outreach to community and civic stakeholders, a task that is required by State regulation,” said Capalino spokesperson Travis Terry said.
Capalino is not working with NRG on any other projects, he added.
Constantinople & Vallone has received $120,000 from NRG since 2019 to lobby for “energy” and “natural resources”-related projects and legislation, according to disclosure reports. Manatt has been paid $250,000 to advocate on NRG’s behalf over the past two years. Neither responded to requests for more information.
Another firm, Dickenson & Avella, has received about $19,000 promote NRG proposals, including the Astoria Project.
NRG has said it will eventually transition the peaker plant to hydrogen power to comply with the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which requires New York to generate 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, like solar and wind power, by 2030 and 100 percent from carbon-free sources by 2040.
But environmental advocates and local lawmakers doubt the hydrogen power claim and say it’s designed to give the fossil fuel project political cover. Natural gas would generate fewer carbon emissions, but still relies on fracked fossil fuels, they say. Hydrogen power is not yet a commercially viable source of energy, experts say.
“The CLPCA makes this proposal dead on arrival and, sure, the company claims hydrogen will be a way to skirt around the CLPCA but does not prove that hydrogen would be viable,” said Food and Water Watch New York organizer Laura Shindell.
Shindell said NRG is using well connected lobbyists to push the project rather than listening to residents of a community known as “Asthma Alley” for the high rates of respiratory illness near the peaker plant.
“The LittleSis report underlines what activists and organizers have known for a long time — that the oil and gas industry will go to enormous lengths to embed themselves in our political system and influence the levers of power for their own corporate gain,” she said. “People in the community don’t want this power plant, they don’t want air pollution.”
She and other advocates have called on the city and state to develop renewable energy sources and storage batteries at the site, rather than more fossil fuel technology.
“That’s what the community wants to see — a swift transition to wind and solar and geothermal and battery storage with good green, union jobs,” she said. “Our elected officials and Gov. Andrew Cuomo are supposed to represent the community and not these well funded corporations.”
Astoria lawmakers, including Assemblymember-elect Zohran Mamdani, State Sen. Michael Gianaris and Councilmember Costa Constantinides, have all lined up against the project.
“They’re trying to build an asset that’s going to be stranded in less than 20 years,” Constantinides said.
NRG points to a poll conducted by the firm Harris, which found that 68 percent of New Yorkers surveyed said they support using natural gas instead of oil to reduce air pollution. More than three-quarters say they support the Astoria project, according to the poll commissioned by NRG.
NRG spokesperson Dave Schrader said the plant “will use state-of-the-art energy technology that will immediately result in cleaner air and hundreds of jobs in Queens while resolving known reliability issues on the electric grid and help the state meet its aggressive climate goals.”
“As we go through the permitting process, we have utilized consultants to help ensure that our project meets all of these important goals,” he added.
A state Department of Environmental Conservation spokesperson said the agency will conduct a full State Environmental Quality Review Act, or SEQRA, before making a decision on the project.
