State budget fights wax and wane with the time of year, but the state's energy wars continue year-round.
Upstate has electric power and downstate wants it. Downstate also doesn't want power plants. Currently, that includes Indian Point Two and Three on the Hudson River. If they close, the electricity will have to be replaced.
State Senator George Maziarz of Newfane says the latest plan calls for taxpayers statewide to pay nearly $1 billion to add new power lines to bring electricity downstate. He says he won't allow that.
Maziarz admits the state's power network has serious problems.
"Our problems are transmission, getting the power from upstate New York where we have generation capacity to downstate New York where they have needs. We've go to do something and the governor and his Energy Highway really addresses it. We've got to do something with the Utica bottleneck and the south of Albany bottleneck," said Maziarz.
Maziarz says if Indian Point is closed, there will be increased demands on power plants in this area.
