March (pdf) - New York Power Authority

March 29, 2011
and sponsorships are given to upstate New York as part of the relicensing of the Authority’s hydro facilities
agreement; a small portion is given to organizations in downstate New York and Long Island. With regards to
the comment that the Authority does not service Long Island, President Kessel said that the Authority has a
generating plant in Holtsville; a plant in Brentwood; underwater transmission lines; a number of energy
efficiency projects and Power for Jobs customers in Long Island. In conclusion, President Kessel said that the
Attorney General’s letter was not based on facts, but on a media report. He said that the Authority will, however,
suspend all grants and sponsorships until there is an independent review of all such activities and he looks
forward to working with the Board on this review.
Chairman Townsend then read a portion of the Attorney General’s letter which states, “It has come to
our attention via published press reports that NYPA may be making financial contributions that do not directly
relate to NYPA’s powers, duties, or purposes” and said that this statement would suggest that the Attorney
General’s office did not conduct an independent investigation regarding the reports on the Authority’s grants
and sponsorships. Chairman Townsend added that the Board is concerned about this matter; therefore, in order
to bring clarity and transparency to it, he has instructed the legal department to review the matter and report their
findings to the Board so that it can be resolved.
In response to a question from Vice Chairman Foster, Chairman Townsend said that the legal
department will provide a report on this investigation before the next Board meeting.
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