Republican Rep. Mike Lawler is advocating for the reopening of the Indian Point nuclear power plant, located in the Hudson Valley, as a solution to New York's escalating electricity costs. Lawler contends that the plant, which ceased operations in 2021, is ideally situated for energy generation, with existing transmission infrastructure already in place.
"The fact is, there’s no better-positioned site for energy generation in the Hudson Valley than Indian Point. The transmission lines are already built and sitting there idle," Lawler stated in a recent interview. He noted that the plant previously supplied a quarter of the region's power, and electricity costs have risen 58 percent since its closure. Lawler believes New York should "be leading on next-generation nuclear, and it should start right here at Indian Point."
Lawler's campaign has criticized his Democratic opponent, Cait Conley, for her firm opposition to reopening the plant. Campaign spokesman Ciro Riccardi highlighted Conley's past remarks, including calling Indian Point "probably why I glow at night" and reopening it "dumb." He added, "Hudson Valley families staring down electric bills that are up 58 percent aren’t laughing."
The Indian Point plant, situated along the Hudson River in Buchanan, provided 25% of New York City's electricity with zero-emission nuclear energy before its closure. The plant's shutdown coincided with state legislation promoting renewable energy, a law that has since been modified by Gov. Kathy Hochul due to concerns about rising costs. Hochul, who was lieutenant governor when Indian Point closed, described the decision as "done in haste" but maintains her opposition to reopening a nuclear facility at the site.
Lawler visited Indian Point in March with US Energy Secretary Chris Wright to urge Hochul to reconsider. His campaign has accused Conley of aligning with environmental activists and lacking a comprehensive energy plan, suggesting she is unwilling to criticize the policies of Democratic leaders that Lawler claims have "broken this grid."
New York residents have cited high living costs, particularly for utilities, as a major concern. Federal data indicates New York has the third-highest electricity costs in the U.S., following Hawaii and California.
Conley, on her campaign website, advocates for investing in clean energy, solar, wind, and geothermal projects, and states her aim is to "stopping Mike Lawler’s drive to reopen Indian Point." She has described the facility as "broken and decrepit."
In response to Lawler's proposal, Conley criticized his past role as a lobbyist for a natural gas advocacy group, New Yorkers for Affordable Energy. "It’s no wonder that former utility lobbyist Mike Lawler is willing to do the utility companies’ bidding and reopen broken and decrepit Indian Point," Conley said in a statement. She pledged to hold utility monopolies accountable, tie rates to services, cap CEO bonuses, and increase energy supply through investments in natural resources projects.
Conley has also promoted the Champlain Hudson Power Express, a transmission line that brings hydropower from Quebec to the city, as an alternative to nuclear power.
The race for the swing 17th House District seat is considered a toss-up by independent analysts, including the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia and The Cook Political Report. Recent polling shows a narrow margin between the two candidates.