NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NY Power Authority (NYPA) recently proposed the construction of a new fracked natural gas burning power plant – located in the predominantly Black environmental justice community of Sheridan Hollow (Albany) – to heat, cool, and power the Empire State Plaza and State owned buildings. For over a century Sheridan Hollow residents endured a coal burning power plant, and later a garbage incinerator, which resulted in noise and air pollution, and toxic ash laden soils. Sheridan Hollow residents are now burdened with serious respiratory illnesses and cancer, while the neighborhood has experienced economic hardships and blight. Sheridan Hollow residents and New Yorkers deserve better!

While Governor Cuomo banned fracking in NY State, he has no problem building natural gas infrastructure and importing natural gas from neighboring states, thus locking us into decades more reliance on dirty fossil fuels. New York State must meet the 50% renewable energy goal by 2030, and Sheridan Hollow Alliance for Renewable Energy (SHARE) supports alternative clean energy proposals for Sheridan Hollow - specifically geothermal power and thermal load sharing. The time for reparations and transitions is now: let’s show the nation that an environmental justice community can be a model for renewable energy for the country, starting by powering our state capital and government.