The Village of Croton Board of Trustees approved a resolution to request that the Governor initiate a study of other energy options to replace Indian Point. The resolution was approved during the board's regular meeting on June 20.

The resolution, drafted by Croton Mayor Leo Wiegman calls for the Governor to look into other available energy options such as: the Champlain Hudson Power Express High Voltage Line, the Cross Hudson Line, and the creation of a 200-600 megawatt gas fire combined cycle power plant at the former Lovett Power Station in Stony Point. In addition to these physical alternatives, the resolution also called for simplifying access to and increasing incentives for renewable energy installations. 

The second part of the resolution was about supporting public policies that would help foster energy efficiency and renewable energy participation like the Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) and Efficiency Portfolio Standards (EPS). The CCA is a form of power where the community would choose the power source. EPS is a program requiring private energy companies to buy efficiency certificates in proportion to the energy they sell. These certificates represent an upgrade to a facility that would save energy.

The suggestions are just to help get a study started into the possibility of replacing the energy produced by Indian Point, should the plant close. “The reason that these suggestions for concrete steps are here is to lend credence to the fact that if you decide to do a study there will be options,” said Mayor Wiegman.  “These are only suggestions.”

Not all of the Board agreed with the resolution. Trustee Gregory Schmidt was opposed to it. While he supported the idea of asking the Governor to start a study, he was opposed to some of the suggestions set forth in the document. “I have no problem with asking the Governor to initiate a study,” said Schmidt. “But some of the suggestions I believe put us in a vulnerable position when it comes to the Millennial Pipeline and we need to take a very serious look into what we are recommending and what we are suggesting as possible alternatives. I’m not in favor of looking at how to bring more power in... Conservation is the big line… how do we use less [energy]?” The Millennial pipeline Trustee Schmidt mentioned is a pipeline that brings natural gas down from Canada to New York.

It was requested that the Governor conduct the study via an independent professional agency or committee and deliver the results within 12 months of being commissioned.