Hispanic Businesses Fight For NY Energy Supply
CORTLANDT MANOR, NY - At a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation hearing, a regional coalition of Hispanic business leaders including the New York State Coalition of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and the Brooklyn Hispanic Chamber of Commerce placed their considerable strength in support of relicensing Indian Point Energy Center. "In order to keep electricity prices affordable for small businesses in New York City and the surrounding region, the Indian Point Energy Center must remain operational," said Frank Garcia, President and CEO of Millennium Compatible Toner, Inc., and Chairman of the Board for the New York State Coalition of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. "As a small business owner, I know the last thing we need are higher electricity rates." New York City's electricity prices are the second highest in the nation, and the consequences of closing Indian Point will raise electric rates even higher. An independent study showed that closing Indian Point Energy Center would cause the average electric bill for a small business in Westchester County to increase over $10,000 annually by 2017. "Indian Point provides the clean and affordable electricity that homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals in New York City rely on," said Rick Miranda, the President and CEO of the Brooklyn Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and founding member of the Hispanic Energy Coalition. "The economic health of small business owners depends on the clean energy produced by Indian Point." In July, several Hispanic business leaders took a tour of Indian Point Energy Center to hear firsthand how the plant produces clean energy for the region. The tour was organized by the clean energy non-profit organization S.H.A.R.E., which since 2008 has worked with Latino communities throughout New York City on clean energy issues. "With the Latino community suffering from the health problems stemming from poor air quality, we need affordable energy that doesn't produce greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming," said Joseph Muniez, President and CEO of the New York State Coalition of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. "After touring this facility, it is clear that the Indian Point Energy Center provides that energy." To learn more about the grassroots organizing efforts of SHARE, please visit www.shareny.org or call 212-905-8921.
