The Closing of the Cayuga Plant
Originally called Milliken Station when it opened in 1955, the coal power plant on the shore of Cayuga Lake in North Lansing is ceasing power generation for good.
Previously, the plant generated electricity for New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) by burning coal almost continuously for 64 years. Renamed AES Cayuga in 1999 when the AES Corporation took the plant over from NYSEG. More recently the plant has been known as Cayuga Operation Company LLC, owned by Heorot Power. The plant has been operating at a much lower level for the past few years, helping to cover peak electric demands in the region.
On October 28, 2019 management at Cayuga received a "deactivation" notice from New York State Independent System Operator stating that it is not needed for reliability of the power grid. This comes after Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's well publicized regulations to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to "improve" air quality and "protect public health" by ending coal burning power production in New York by 2020.
Bargaining unit employees at the Cayuga Facility are represented by Local Union 10 I.B.E.W., and have ranged in number from approximately 80 down to 30 in recent times. It is definitely an end to an era.
