Published: January 10, 2008 07:25 pm            

LEGISLATURE: Low-cost power board to be formed

Low-cost power board to be formed

Niagara County may move a step closer next week to helping local businesses take advantage of low-cost hydropower.

Legislature Chairman Bill Ross, C-Wheatfield, is expected on Tuesday to formally nominate members to the Empower Niagara Advisory Board, a committee that will decide how best to allocate affordable electricity made available through the county’s relicensing agreement with the New York State Power Authority.

The board will include Economic Development Commissioner Sam Ferraro, a representative from the county’s energy consultant, Fluent Energy, and a representative from one of the county’s two electricity providers, either National Grid or New York State Electric and Gas, depending on the location of the applicant requesting the low-cost power.

Under county legislation, the remaining two board members must be legislators. Ross said he intends to announce the names of his nominees during Tuesday’s Legislature meeting.

“Right now, I’m leaning toward one person from each party,” he said.

Of the 9 megawatts of low-cost power owed to the county under the relicensing agreement, Ross said roughly 1.4 megawatts is available for economic development purposes. The Empower board will be responsible for reviewing applications made by companies seeking cheap electricity to perform projects that will either create or retain jobs. The board will make recommendations for approval of acceptable applications to the full Legislature. The county is hoping to achieve 85 percent of its job projections resulting from low-cost power allocation each year. Annual audits will be conducted to assess the program’s performance.

The county is also marketing 70 megawatts of low-cost power available through the state power authority.

Ferraro said the county has so far received requests for hydropower applications from about a dozen businesses, primarily manufacturing and light manufacturing companies. He added that he expects review of formal applications to begin shortly after the advisory board has been formed and has had a chance to hold an organizational meeting to set ground rules for board procedures.

“Hopefully, by that time, we’ll have an application for formal review,” he said.



Low-cost power

To qualify, interested businesses must:

• Be in Niagara County

• Not receive low-cost power from the state or county

• Be new or expanding

• Create at least 75 kilowatts of new electricity

• Create an economic benefit for the county

• Retain or create jobs

• Be completed within two years

        

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