LIC Generators Put Plug Back In Socket

After weeks of see-saw court rulings, the New York City Appellate Court ruled last Thursday that the City needs the extra generating capacity to battle the heat looming in the upcoming summer months.
"We feel the courts have made the right decision," said NYPA spokesman Mike Petralia. "There is a need for generating capacity that might have put us in a similar situation to the California power crisis. Now New York can rest assured that there wont be any brownouts or blackouts in the City this summer."
In late August 2000, the Public Service Commission advised the New York Power Authority (NYPA) that a shortfall in electrical generating capacity was expected to reach more than 300 megawatts by the following summer and that immediate action was required to prevent likely brownouts or blackouts in New York City during the peak demand period beginning June 1. On Aug. 29, 2000, NYPAs Board of Trustees authorized the purchase and installation of 11 LM-6000 simple cycle natural gas turbine generator units, each capable of a net electrical output of 44 MW.
While all 10 generators met with flak from local community officials and politicians across New York City, none were more vigorously protested than the two being built in Long Island City.
Borough President Claire Shulman was envisioning the economic development of the western Queens waterfront before NYPA decided to build its two generators there. Through public protests and environmental reviews, Shulman attempted to prove that the generators would stifle the over 6,000 homes and businesses planned for the waterfront.
Movie production company Silvercup Studios, which hosts the filming of the HBO series "The Sopranos," also got into the mix when they found that the generators would be built next to where they planned to construct a new studio facility. Charging that the generators would corrupt the new studios sound production capabilities, Silvercup brought NYPA to court.
NYPA, Silvercup and Shulman are still looking to develop a plan that could move the generators before construction of the waterfront and studio facility go into effect in two to three years. While past efforts have failed, Silvercup executives remain confident that construction of their new facility will not be stifled by the generators.
"We are still looking forward to plans to build the movie production facility in Queens," said Silvercup president Stuart Suna. "Maybe in the future we can develop a good relationship with the NYPA and work something out."