Upstate Energy Jobs is a broad-based coalition of municipal, business, labor, education and economic development leaders dedicated to ensuring the viability of clean upstate electric generation and the development of electric transmission to support these resources. The coalition is supported by local businesses, families, employees and skilled labor that are deeply concerned about preserving and advancing New York State electric infrastructure to ensure continued economic health and wealth of our communities for future generations.
UEJ was at the forefront, raising awareness about the tremendous benefits that nuclear power provides to all New Yorkers, as well as the crippling impacts the closure of these facilities would have on our region and the entire state.
First formed in late 2015, UEJ immediately set about the work of keeping the FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant operational, after its closure was initially announced:
- November 2015: Leaders from upstate New York come together and form the UEJ
- January 2016: UEJ sends a letter to Governor Cuomo affirming the broad-based support for nuclear energy and its positive impact throughout the state’s economy
- March-June 2016: UEJ presses for the state to properly value the carbon-free energy that nuclear provides and to consider how to ensure that the safe, reliable, base-load generation is not removed from the state’s energy portfolio. Members of the UEJ testify at public hearings held by the state’s Public Service Commission.
- August 2016: The state announces a program that will properly recognize the carbon-free emissions of nuclear in a similar way as other renewable energy sources. With this plan in place, Exelon announces $110M purchase of FitzPatrick, preserving thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the region.
- November 2016: The Public Service Commission and Governor Cuomo formally adopt the Clean Energy Standard, including a recognition of the critical benefit of nuclear in the state and a program to properly value its attributes.
- December 2016: The FitzPatrick facility undergoes its regularly scheduled refueling outage, again bringing hundreds of jobs to the facility to help manage this process
- Today: Thousands of jobs are secure, as are hundreds of millions of dollars in tax and local economic activity
We’re committed to this work because upstate New York hotels, restaurants, schools, food markets, banks and families are all dependent on the economic benefits provided by access to upstate clean and renewable energy through a robust electric transmission infrastructure.
Access to clean energy from upstate New York power plants is a critical to supporting economic growth throughout the state. This energy infrastructure development phase will:
- Create new jobs, including construction jobs, as well as jobs developing and maintaining clean energy resources
- Thousands of opportunities for building tradesman and skilled workers
- Power New York State for future generations through development of upstate large-scale renewable energy resources
- Ensure unencumbered access to all NY state communities through electric infrastructure upgrades and developments
- Carbon-free electricity that accounts for approximately 31 percent of New York’s energy supply
Upstate Energy Jobs was founded by the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency to bring diverse groups together to protect and promote jobs in our community – but our work is not done.
Upstate communities, and all of New York, need transmission development and the development of renewable energy. UEJ will continue to advocate for new energy jobs that help strengthen our local economy and create a vibrant community where we can all live and work.
For more information email info@upstateenergyjobs.com