Frequently Asked Questions

Q:	Who is Competitive Power Ventures?
A:	Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) is an energy company who develops, builds, and manages electricity generation facilities across the country. The company’s headquarters is in Silver Spring, Maryland with offices in Braintree, MA. and San Francisco, CA. The company is currently developing 15 combined cycle and combustion turbine electric generation facilities in eight states that will provide over 7,000 megawatts (MW) of power. CPV also currently manage facilities in eight states that produce enough electricity to power about 4 million homes.
Q:	What is the CPV Valley Energy Center?
A:	The Valley Energy Center is a highly efficient, 630 MW state-of-the-art combined cycle gas power plant. The proposed location is an industrially zoned property located on Route 6, on the north side of I-84 and west of 17M, in the Township of Wawayanda, New York. This facility will help meet the growing energy needs of the Lower Hudson Valley region as identified by the New York Independent Systems Operator, while improving the reliability of the state’s electric infrastructure.
Q:	What is a Combined Cycle Electric Generator?
A:	A Combined Cycle Electric Generator generates electricity from natural gas. The waste heat is used to make steam to generate additional electricity via a steam turbine. This highly efficient, state-of-the art technology will generate local, cleaner electricity that reduces dependence on older and coal burning power plants and is better for our environment.
Q:	Why did CPV pick this location for the facility?
A:	This site provides an optimal combination of factors that are important in deciding where best to locate a power plant. The facility will be sited on property that is zoned M1and complies with the Town Comprehensive Master Plan. The site provides access to the Marcy transmission lines, to transmit the electricity generated.
Q:	How big will the plant be?
A:	The plant is a 630 MW-facility, which will supply enough electricity to supply approximately 600,000 homes. The plant will occupy about 20 acres and will have buildings about 130 feet high, and will have two exhaust stacks that are about 250-285 feet high (approximately the height of the nearby Orange & Rockland cell tower).
Q:	What is involved in getting permission to build a plant in New York? Is it a “done deal”?
A:	First, it is not a done deal. We will initially look to ascertain that the facility will be a good “fit” for the Town and CPV. Then we will proceed to work with both the State and the Town to ensure that we address any concerns regarding the facility site and its operation. A complete environmental assessment will be done to satisfy the requirements of the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), which comes under the State Department of Environmental Conservation. We will also work with the Town Planning Board to address any resident concerns or local issues that they might have. All of this will be done in a very open and public process.
Q:	What is the process for community involvement during the review?
A:	From the very beginning of the process, there will be ample opportunities for public participation, comment, and review from residents and relevant stakeholder groups. CPV will host an Open House, along with other educational forums to inform the community about the project, the overall process and how they can become active participants. Throughout the process we will continue to actively inform residents about meetings, important events, and general updates about the project’s progress.
Q:	Will there be a local office for residents to access?
A:	Yes, CPV plans to establish a local informational office within the community as a means of providing easy access to information about the project.
Q:	What kind of tax benefits will there be for the community?
A:	CPV projects typically provide local communities with a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreements that often times makes us the largest taxpayer in the community, providing revenue to support vital public services, school funding, and possible tax relief. We also make every effort to purchase local goods and services to benefit those living and working in the host community.
Q:	How will the proposed plant affect air quality?
A:	The project is designed to minimize emissions of pollutants, and the combined cycle plant will be fueled by natural gas, the cleanest burning fossil fuel. The plant will be modern and highly efficient, and thus will help displace older, less efficient and dirtier power plants in the region. Because of this, the net effect of the CPV plant will be to improve air quality.
Q:	Will the facility be noisy during operations?
A:	Modern power plants are surprisingly quiet and this facility will be required to meet all local and state noise quality standards. CPV is investing additional money in the design of the buildings on the site to minimize noise.
Q:	Where will the water come from to run the power plant, and how much will be needed?
A:	The high efficiency design of this facility will conserve water and protect natural resources. Also, as part of our commitment to the environment, we will make every effort to use reclaimed water from the local wastewater treatment facility. If need be, water from on-site wells would be used as well.
Q:	Where will the natural gas come from to run the facility?
A:	Gas for the facility will come from the nearby Millennium pipeline and approvals for the pipeline connection will be come from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Q:	Will the plant contribute to Electro-Magnetic Field (EMF)?
A:	CPV’s experience is that any localized EMF due to the facility is marginal and more importantly, is confined to the areas immediately around the generation turbines within the plant. This issue will also be examined during the review process.
Q:	Will the plant be safe? Will local fire departments be able to comment on an emergency response plan?
A:	Yes. The proposed plant utilizes a proven technology used throughout North America and the world to generate electricity without incident. Safety is a top corporate priority for all CPV facilities. The design, construction and operation of equipment and systems for the proposed project will be in accordance with all local and state regulations and will include state-of-the-art fire detection, alarm, suppression and control systems.
Q:	How many construction and operations jobs would this project create? Will they be hired locally?
A:	At peak construction, there will be approximately 650 to 700 workers on site, and strong efforts will be made to use local labor and materials to the greatest extent possible. Once operational, the plant staff size will be somewhere around 25 full-time well paying jobs.
Q:	How many trucks per day will be coming to and from the site?
A:	While it’s hard to determine the number of trucks on a daily basis, a transportation plan that covers proposed truck routes will be established to minimize traffic disruptions and other inconveniences.
Q:	How long will it take to build the plant?
A:	The actual construction time is estimated to take approximately two years
Q:	Will building this facility have a negative impact on property values in the area?
A:	Based on information from other communities where facilities have been built, we have seen no decline in property values as a result of the facility.
Q:	Will any of the power from this facility be available here in our area or will it all go to New York City area?
A:	Power generated at the plant will be sold on the wholesale market and could well be bought by local utilities like Orange & Rockland, Central Hudson, or any other utility buying power from the State’s Independent System Operator (NYSISO) who operates the state power grid.
Q:	Does New York State need additional power generation?
A:	Yes. It is widely agreed that New York needs significant additional generation in the next few years to maintain reliability. The Legislature currently has proposals pending to renew Article X, the state electric power facility siting law. In addition, the state's electric grid operator, the New York Independent System Operator, has cited the need for at least 500 megawatts of additional electric generation right here in the Hudson Valley.