Queens deserves a cleaner plant that can keep the lights on

Andrew Scano is the plant manager at NRG’s Astoria Generating Station. Image courtesy of NRG

By Andrew Scano

Re: “Queens deserves better than a new peaker plant” 

It’s clear that Astoria residents deserve cleaner air, affordable power and a reliable electrical grid. That’s why NRG is seeking to modernize the Astoria Generating Station with state-of-the-art technology – we want to reduce the size of the plant, dramatically reduce emissions, and ensure that Queens business owners and families have electricity at times of high demand. This project results in lower electricity costs for New York City and won’t cost taxpayers a single dollar, because NRG will pay for 100% of the upgrade itself. 

The Astoria Replacement Project will lower greenhouse gases by five-million tons through 2035, the equivalent of pulling more than 94,000 cars per year off the road in Queens. The new technology will also be fully convertible to green hydrogen in the future – a zero-carbon source of power. Importantly, the plant will have to shut down in 2040 if it cannot meet New York’s aggressive emissions goals. We can take these steps today and boost Queens’ recovering economy by creating more than 500 jobs. 

New Yorkers want to keep the lights on. NRG is dedicated to moving to a carbon-free grid, but there is currently no combination of renewable technology alone that will power New York City. Right now, back-up electricity plants – running on lower-emitting fuels like natural gas – are a critical component of New York City’s transition to a greener grid. The Astoria Replacement Project will bring cleaner air, reliable power, and jobs to Queens. That’s something every Astoria resident can get behind.

Andrew Scano is the plant manager at NRG’s Astoria Generating Station and has been at NRG for seven years.