New York State Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R–Pulaski) believes Oswego would be the “ideal site” for a new nuclear-power plant.

The lawmaker issued a June 23 statement after Gov. Kathy Hochul said she wants the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to develop and construct a zero-emission, advanced nuclear-power plant somewhere in upstate New York.

“Today’s commitment from Gov. Kathy Hochul to build a new nuclear power facility in New York is a positive step forward in strengthening the state’s energy grid. As a longtime advocate for nuclear energy — especially with existing plants in Oswego County — I know the critical role it has played for decades as a clean, reliable source of power for New Yorkers. Too often overlooked in the debate over the environment, nuclear energy remains one of the most efficient and low-emission energy sources available to meet the state’s electricity demands,” Barclay said. “Oswego is already home to three reactors and would be the ideal site for the new facility. I look forward to working with local and state officials, private industry, and labor partners to help make it happen.”

Hochul plan

Under the governor’s proposal, New York’s new nuclear-power plant would support a “reliable and affordable” electric grid, while providing the necessary zero-emission electricity to “achieve a clean energy economy,” Hochul’s office said in a June 23 announcement.

It would be the first nuclear-power plant built in the Empire State in more than three decades. Hochul made the announcement during a visit to the Niagara County Power Project in Lewiston.

NYPA, in coordination with the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS), will seek to develop at least one new nuclear-energy facility with a combined capacity of no less than 1 gigawatt of electricity, either alone or in partnership with private entities, to support the state’s electric grid and the people and businesses that rely on it.

NYPA will immediately begin evaluation of technologies, business models, and locations for this first nuclear-power plant and will secure the key partnerships needed for the project, Hochul’s office said.

The process will include site and technology-feasibility assessments as well as consideration of financing options. It’ll be conducted in coordination with the forthcoming studies included in the master plan for Responsible Advanced Nuclear Development in New York, led by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and DPS, per the announcement.

The state will assess candidate locations for “suitability” based on public safety, strength of community support, compatibility with existing infrastructure, as well as skilled labor and land availability.

“As New York State electrifies its economy, deactivates aging fossil fuel power generation and continues to attract large manufacturers that create good-paying jobs, we must embrace an energy policy of abundance that centers on energy independence and supply chain security to ensure New York controls its energy future,” Hochul said in the announcement. “This is the second time during my administration that I am calling on the New York Power Authority to lead a critical energy initiative, and just as it is doing with the expedited buildout of renewable energy and transmission, it will now safely and rapidly deploy clean, reliable nuclear power for the benefit of all New Yorkers.”

New York state currently has three active nuclear-power plants, each located near Lake Ontario and operated by Constellation. They provide about one-fifth of the state’s electricity supply, per the governor’s office.

Federal plans to boost nuclear energy

New York State’s new nuclear-power push comes as the federal government is also seeking to increase the nation’s nuclear-power capacity. On May 23, President Donald Trump announced four executive orders aimed at reinvigorating America’s nuclear-energy industry. The orders outline a plan to modernize nuclear regulation, streamline nuclear-reactor testing, deploy nuclear reactors for national security, and reinvigorate the nuclear industrial base, according to a fact sheet on the U.S. Department of Energy website. The plans include speeding up approval of new construction and operation licenses for nuclear reactors.