This story was updated Tuesday, March 15, to include additional responses from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and South Bronx Unite.
South Bronx residents often describe the maritime industrial area in the Bronx, which stretches from Port Morris to Hunts Point, as a toxic soup of environmental hazards, includingpeakerplants, waste transfer stations and incessant traffic of diesel trucks that has led to severe environmental and health challenges.
The New York Power Authority (NYPA), introduced four of its 16 natural gas-fired peaker plant units to the South Bronx in 1996. They were located in Ports Morris and Mott Haven. It was intended that the installation would be temporary. Despite protests from residents and activists in the South Bronx calling for the plant to be shut down due to its detrimental effect on health and safety, the plant remains operational 21 years later. state’s increased effort for mass decarbonization,NYPA is working to decommission South Bronx peakers before 2035.
Activists and climatologists, however, believe there is currently enough renewable energy to replace the 10 NYPA-owned peakers, which NYPA states operate roughly 10% of the time “or less” when directed to do so by the New York Independent System Operator, a not-for-profit corporation responsible for operating the state’s bulk electricity grid, and Con Edison to meet energy demands.
NYPA now has 11 peakers, 10 in NYC and one in Long Island. Six of their peakers were transitioned in 2020.
“We are living in the South Bronx, where there are four peaker plants, and as an environmental justice organization that represents an environmental justice community, we need to hear from NYPA about our concerns,” said Arif Ullah, executive director for South Bronx Unite. “We need NYPA to be available to us about their timeline for retiring their peakers and that simply hasn’t happened yet.”
NYPA informed the Bronx Times on Tuesday that they had reached Ullah via an email dated February 28, but hadn’t received a response. Ullah explained to the Times that they received three emails from South Bronx Unite on Jan. 6 and then NYPA finally replied on February 28.
“The message reiterates that NYPA is exploring the retirement of peakers by 2035, which as weve made clear, is many years too late. And, that was the point of our press conference,” said Ullah in a statement to the Times. “We do not believe that 2035 is a justifiable date to retire the peakers, considering the introduction of adequate renewables to replace nearly all peakers in NYC by 2026.”
In the fall,NYPAsigned a memorandum of understanding which committed them to collaborate with environmental justice groups to explore cleaner energy options foritsentire fleet ofcitywide,peakerpower plants, the first time a utility has agreed to enter into such a collaboration in the country.
The agency told the Bronx Times that they are “actively” working with stakeholders and advocates on transitioning its small clean power plants, known aspeakers, to low orZero carbon emission technologies and resources are required by 2035. The effects on the South Bronx environment anditsinhabitants due to thepeakersand the city’s reliance on fossil fuels 80 and 90% of the city’s electricity is powered by fossil fuels is potentially irreversible, residents and environmentalists tell the Times.
“I have three kids who are asthmatic and I recently been dealing with respiratory health issues,” said Serena Jones, who lives near the industrial complex where one of the Mott Havenpeakersare located. “During the summer,it’smuggy, exhausting and it seems like no one cares that we’re struggling to breathe in this neighborhood.”
According to the New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC), peaker plants in the city emit high levels of carbon dioxide.Double the amount of carbon dioxidePer unit of electricity, more than regular power plants20 times more nitrogen oxidesResponsible forHigh ratesVarious respiratory diseases like asthma, heart disease, and cancer.
The South Bronx has one among the highest rates of asthma-related deaths and diseases in the country. The asthma emergency room visits rate for children aged 5-17 in the Mott Haven or Melrose Bronx sections, which are surrounded peaker plants, is almost Triple the citywide rate.
Many feel that the Bronx is ripe for environmental racism, with a large portion of the borough being called Asthma Alley. This despite it being one of New York City’s most diverse areas and home to the poorest congressional districts in the United States.
A demonstration was held in Mott Harbor last Sunday calling for the closing of the peaker plant piggybacks. Gov. Kathy Hochul, two state agencies, advocacy group South Bronx Unite, and other community groups were signed by lawmakers, including progressive state Senators. Alessandra Biaggi, Gustavo Rivera and Jose Serrano Jr.
The Mott Haven and Port Morris neighborhoods experience higher than average air pollution, with an annual average fine particulate matter that’sgreater than both the Bronxboroughwideaverageand the NYC average,values that measure the concentration of an air pollutant.
NYPAsaidit’salso helping to advance other clean energy efforts, including new transmission lines such as theClean PathNYNYSERDA selected this project as one of two to provide more renewable energy in New York City. Clean Path NY would transmit solar and wind energy from Central New York and other areas of the state to the Rainey Substation in Astoria, and officials said that any routing in the Bronx is anticipated to be “extremely limited.”
Clean Path NY External Affairs Vice President Amy Varghese stated to the Bronx Times, that the project could reduce pollution from the electric industry by 22% each and every year. CleanPath NY stated previously that the project’s target date was 2027. However, CleanPath NY stated previously that it will invest $70million in environmental justice programs in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx and that the project would result in billions in health savings for vulnerable communities throughout the state over the next two-and-half decades.
“The Clean Path NY team is committed to working with communities and stakeholders at every stage of the project to ensure that local voices are sought and heard, Varghesesaid, “because Clean PathNYis a win-win for the Bronx and the entire State of New York.”
Robbie Sequeira can reached at [email protected]Or call (718) 260-4599. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @bronxtimes for more coverage
