1. Cayuga Power Plant proposal to convert to “natural” gas
CLWN
Nov. 3, 2018
Irene Weiser

2. Overview

3. Overview Built in mid-1950’s 2 Generating Units – 155 MW, 167 MW
434 Acres
NYSEG (Milliken Station)  1998, AES Cayuga  2012, Upstate NY Power Producers  2016 Heorot
Dec 2011 bankruptcy, Summer 2012 UNYPP
2012 apply to mothball, but can’t because of reliability
Jan 2013 –July 2017 reliability subsidy until Auburn transmission upgrades complete (~ $188m)

4. Coal Ash Landfill
50 of 55 groundwater monitoring wells have been polluted above federal advisory levels based on
samples collected between
Feb. 1, 2010 and
Sept. 1, 2015.
Contaminants include boron, molybdenum, manganese, 
sulfate, strontium, arsenic, selenium, thallium, nickel, lead, cobalt, 
cadmium, copper, nitrate, beryllium, fluoride and mercury.

5. Cayuga application for modification of Title V Air Emissions Permit
2 Scenarios, Unit 2, Units 1&2 convert to gas
Expect permit approval w/in 1 year
Operate at up to 77% capacity
Unit 2 construction to commence March 2019
Gas delivered by truck
Unit 1 continue to burn coal for now
DEC proposed rule to halt coal by end of 2020
Pipeline if/when convert Unit 1 to gas

6. Cayuga’s Proposal SCENARIO 1
UNIT 2 Coal to gas conversion
Gas delivered by trucks carrying Compressed Natural Gas
DEC application 30 trucks/day 6am – 3pm
Cayuga Press Release 25 – 60 trucks/day
“this would represent a less than 1% to 2% increase in traffic on Route 34B, the main access route to Cayuga.”

9. Why Is Controlling Methane (CH4) Emission So Important?
Danger Zone
Last Warning Zone
Shindell, et al. Science 335, 183 (2012)