BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The New York Power Authority's nuclear power project was announced in December, with a plan to select communities to develop projects in.
That announcement happened in Buffalo, but Erie and Niagara counties have decided not to participate. The closest community to raise a hand is Dunkirk.
WATCH: 'It's about reliability, affordability': New York and Ontario sign historic nuclear energy agreement
Why is that?
Niagara County's position
Niagara County Legislator Richard Andres, chairman of economic development, explained their hesitation.
"We need to increase energy in a big way in this state," said Andres.
However, he noted that nuclear power raises questions for local communities.
"We in Niagara County are the home of green energy, but as far as nuclear goes, there are a lot of questions," said Andres. "I think a lot of people interested would be local towns and cities."
Andres emphasized that if a town within the county expressed interest, the county would be for it 100%, but he'd prefer it to come from the bottom up.
"Being the first is always a risky place," he said. "They're gonna find that all over the place until you see a success story and you say 'Why not us,' and we'll be exploring all options."
So the answer is not never.
"Not right now, we haven't had a groundswell of people eager to do it, I can't think of anyone that's been pushing it currently," Andres said.
Erie County's decision
Erie County also opted out of the nuclear project. A county spokesperson said Erie County does not own any sites suitable for nuclear power development, which led to their decision not to apply.
WATCH: Why aren't Erie and Niagara Counties part of the New York Power Authority nuclear project?
State response
The Governor's Office responded to Western New York's limited participation in the opportunity, sending this statement:
"Building the state's first nuclear plant in a generation is part of Governor Hochul's all-of-the-above approach to energy and will provide needed around-the-clock emissions-free power to keep the lights on, help hold down costs, and create good-paying jobs and economic development opportunities. The Governor was very clear when she first directed the New York Power Authority last June to develop and construct an advanced nuclear plant that it would only be located in communities that want it. NYPA's RFI was intended to gauge interest and we're not suprised that eight communities have quickly stepped forward and that 23 developers expressed a desire in a seperate RFI to partner on the project."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
