By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – The president of the New York Power Authority on Thursday vowed to keep any additional low cost power available only to upstate businesses.
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The Power for Jobs program is intended to help businesses create jobs by giving them low cost power. Right now there are 440 businesses and not-for-profits across the state that benefit from the program.
But different plans being proposed by the governor and three lawmakers would expand the program. They want to shift 455 megawatts of low cost power from a program that lowers utility bills for residential customers.
United States Representative Brian Higgins called it a downstate power grab for cheap power. Higgins said he won't let that happen.
Higgins has some leverage. The residential program is a federal creation and would require congressional approval to alter it or phase it out. But NYPA president Richard Kessel said he will guarantee that if a phase out of the residential program is adopted the additional low cost power will not be used downstate.
When he learned of Kessel's comments, Higgins said he looks forward to working with Kessel to make sure those commitments are kept. In general, lawmakers are not opposed to phasing out the residential program. It shaves as little as 50 cents off utility bills for residential customers. The agreement for the existing Power for Jobs Program will expire May 15th.