Energy Groups Urge NY Governor to Restart Indian Point Nuclear Plant
Advocates deploy billboards during Climate Week, citing rising energy costs and the closure's impact on power generation.
Energy industry groups are calling on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to reactivate the Indian Point nuclear plant, urging the move as a solution to the state's escalating energy costs. The campaign includes a billboard campaign targeting Hochul during Climate Week, featuring the message, “Open up Indian Point, or the heat goes out and the light goes out.”
The Indian Point Energy Center in Westchester County ceased operations in 2021, a decision driven by years of pressure from anti-nuclear activists and politicians concerned about its proximity to New York City. Despite the closure, Hochul has acknowledged the plant's significant contribution to the state's energy supply, noting that its shutdown led to increased reliance on fossil fuel power plants.
"We lost 25% of New York City’s power when Indian Point shut down. That’s something that was unforeseen," Hochul stated recently, reflecting on the lack of a backup plan following the closure. The plant previously generated approximately two gigawatts of energy.
Steve Milloy, a senior fellow at the Energy and Environment Legal Institute, one of the groups involved in the campaign, criticized the governor's approach. "If Governor Hochul was sincere about jump-starting nuclear power to cut electricity prices, she would be pressing the Trump administration to expedite the recommissioning of the Indian Point nuclear power plant, where the extensive infrastructure needed is already in place," Milloy said. "But that is not what’s happening. She is only sincere about her insincerity."
While Hochul has previously called the decision to close Indian Point a "mistake," she has not publicly supported restarting the facility. The call for its reactivation comes as New York grapples with high utility bills and as other political figures, like Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, have made refiring Indian Point a key part of their campaigns.
Lawler has advocated for bringing Indian Point back online, especially as demand for reliable power sources increases with the growth of data centers. The U.S. Army has also announced plans to install small nuclear energy generators at military bases nationwide, including Fort Drum in New York.
The billboard campaign is sponsored by the Energy & Environment Legal Institute, the American Energy Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Heartland Institute, and Truth in Energy and Climate.