Lansing School Superintendent Chris Pettograsso asked the Board Of Education Monday to publicly share their opinions about the possible closing of Cayuga Power Plant, the district's largest taxpayer.  The NYS Public Service Commission held a public hearing at Lansing Middle School Auditorium July 29th, and has been soliciting public input through today (August 16th).  Pettograsso said cuts to programs and employees will be necessary if revenue from the power plant disappears on top of decreasing state aid.

"Over the years we've been generating lists of possible areas we would have to make reductions in that aren't mandated," she said.  "We have that list, so we know where we'll be looking. We already know that without that loss we have tax rate concerns already."

Pettograsso defended the district's stand, refuting Ulysses Supervisor Elizabeth Thomas's statement to the PSC that not every town that has a football team has a power plant, and other towns manage their budgets without power plant revenue.  She said some news outlets are reporting that as fact in spite of Lansing School Business Administrator Mary June King pointing out to the PSC that the other districts in the county receive about 75% of their revenue from the state, while Lansing receives about 25% in state aid.

"For me that was a silly statement, because -- of course not," Pettograsso said.  "But every town has tax revenue, and is $1.25 million tax revenue went away, likely you would be looking at athletics.  And likely you would be looking at other areas that are not mandated that you would need to cut.  We're not talking about the power plant.  We're talking about tax revenue that we'll lose.  And we're talking about families that we care about that are employed by the plant.  And those families possibly having to leave Lansing."

She urged school board members to talk openly about the plant closing.

"I share your frustration," said school board member Walker Reynolds.  "There are all these red herrings out there.  This isn't about fracking, and it's not about U.S. energy policy and it's not about whether you need a power plant to have a football team."

Reynolds said Lansing has an exceptional school district, and that it is a false comparison when critics of plant repowering equate it to neighboring districts.  he said a PSC ruling to close the plant would be the same as saying "We're OK with taking an exceptional district and letting it become average."

"The fundamental issue is that Nucor Steel is the largest electrical customer in New York State," Reynolds said.  "They have to curtail (activity) sometimes during the summer because the transmission lines that run from Jordan to Auburn, when people have their air conditioners on, can't handle the load.  When Cayuga Operating Company is running they have no issues.  Now NYSEG doesn't want to lose Nucor Steel as a customer.  And as taxpayers in New York State we don't want to lose them as an employer.  Is the PSC going to invest in transmission lines or are they going to invest in people?  That's what the narrative should be."

Reynolds noted that he worked for Nucor Steel in Auburn for four years as an electrical engineer.  He said there were no issues with the company receiving enough electricity when he worked there and that the issues have only emerged over the last four years.

"We've already lost $2.4 million," Reynolds said.  "And we stand to lose another $1.2 million.  And we can't stand to lose that and provide the same services.  The Ulysses Town Supervisor is making absurd statements."

"If you look at the benefit of a school district that is so successful, and self financed at a much greater percentage (than surrounding school districts), that's something that should be sustained in the state," said school board member Tom Robinson.  "Not doing something that debilitates this community so it can't support its own schools.  The more local power, the better.  New York State is trying to push more local jobs, and this is an easy way to do that."

School Board President Glenn Swanson refuted statements that repowering opponents have made claiming there are transition funds available for communities that lose a major revenue source like Cayuga Power Plant.

"There are no funds that are available to backfill for any loss," he said.  "There are NYSERTA grants that we can get for a specific project, but nothing that can fill the magnitude of what we would lose if the power plant closes.  That's another bit of misinformation that gets spread around.  We've found nothing that can backfill that loss."

Board member Julie Boles said she appreciated Pettograsso and King publicly clarifying the percentage of state aid Lansing receives as compared to Trumansburg and other surrounding districts.

"The individuals that are for updating transmission lines are forgetting where that power comes from," she added.  "You have to generate electricity.  That could be nuclear, gas fired plants, coal powered plants elsewhere, and of course all the green energy.  but it has to be generated somewhere, so why not keep it here.  We know that Cayuga Operating Company has one of the cleanest coal-fired plants in the country.  We have those emission controls.  We don't have those emission controls in Canada, Ohio, or Pennsylvania.  So we can help become green by keeping it here, keeping the jobs, and keeping the tax revenue here."

Board member Karen McGreevey said she was concerned that elected officials including Assemblywoman barbara Lifton, Tompkins County Legislator Carol Chock, and Thomas had torpedoed the Lansing community.

"I applaud their conviction and their commitment to renewable energy sources," McGreevey said.  "I refuse, however, to accept their assertion that lansing can do without the energy producing plant.  We pay our way.  As a local economy and a local district we provide an amazing education.  With integrity, grit and hard work this plant has been open for 50-plus years and I want to keep it open."

She also commended the plant for including a solar array in their repowering proposal, saying that it is a step in pioneering renewable energy generation in the region.

"I was disappointed by some of our neighboring communities," Swanson said.  "They were short sighted in their comments, in not recognizing that (the plant closing) would effect not only Lansing, but the whole area with the goods and services that people from the surrounding area provide to the plant.  Rochester recently lost Bauch and Lomb and a number of jobs.  This would be another in a long list of industries moving out of the area.  At some point it's got to stop or there won't be anybody to pay the bills."

"Keep it open, repower with gas, pioneer reliable and cost effective energy sources in upstate New York," McGreevey said.  "I believe that we can leverage the ingenuity and grit in the Lansing community to provide leadership, economic growth, energy development and K-12 public education.  It's my hope that the PSC will invest in the people of this community, this town and repower this plant."

Swanson noted that closing the power plant would reduce school revenue by 10%.  He said the district would have no choice to raise taxes and cut programs, or take other dramatic action such as merging with another school district.  He said he views repowering the plant with gas as part of a transition to cleaner, renewable energy production.

"I'm in favor of repowering the plant and also of protecting the environment," he added.  "Lansing schools have demonstrated with some of the work we've done here -- ground source heat pumps and energy savings contracts -- that we support the environment.  Unfortunately there is no green alternative available today that can take the place of that plant.  Bringing the power from some place else transfers the problem to someone else's back yard and takes the revenue away from us.  It's very disappointing."

"It's ironic," noted Boles.  "A couple of years ago Cornell converted from coal-fired to natural gas and it wasn't even a blip on the radar."

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