Protect Good Jobs and Clean Energy – Renew the ZEC Program
For decades, three nuclear plants along the shores of Lake Ontario have been running and powering New York with clean, reliable, safe electricity. These plants are not only the backbone of our energy grid – they are a pillar for the upstate New York economy. Now more than ever, we can’t afford to lose these essential nuclear plants.
That’s why we, as representatives of labor and upstate New York communities, are proud to be a member of the Carbon Free New York coalition and support the extensions of the Zero-Emission Credit (ZEC) program.
Our three nuclear plants generate nearly half of New York’s carbon-free electricity and 20% of the state’s total power supply. According to a new report release from our coalition, extending the ZEC program will save ratepayers $50 billion by 2050, add $38 billion to the state’s economy, support 14,400 good-paying jobs, and preserve $10 billion in tax revenues.
These plants are more than just power producers—they are economic lifelines. They anchor local communities through union jobs, charitable investments, and stable tax revenue. In 2024 alone, they avoided 16.4 million tons of carbon emissions—the equivalent of taking 3.5 million gas-powered cars off the road for a year.
The ZEC program, originally established in 2016, has helped keep these plants operating. But with the program nearing renewal, their future is once again uncertain. If we allow these plants to shut down, New York won’t just lose reliable energy—we’ll pay the price and lose livelihoods and a substantial source of our safe, reliable energy.
Extending the ZEC program is a common-sense move that would send a clear signal: that New York values clean energy, working families, and energy security. The program has already proven effective. It’s time to renew and build on that success.
The Carbon Free New York coalition brings together labor, business, environmental groups, and economic development organizations from across the state. We may come from different places, but we’re united by a shared goal: keeping New York on the path to a cleaner, stronger energy future.
Renewing the ZEC program isn’t just good policy. It’s the right thing to do for workers, for our communities, and for the planet.
Let’s protect what works. Let’s invest in our future. Let’s keep nuclear power—and New York—strong.
Greg Lancette, President of the Central & Northern New York Building and Construction Trades Council
