replace Polluting Power Plants in NYC’s Environmental Justice Communities
our campaign
Peaker plants in New York City are a grievous environmental injustice. On days with extreme weather, like heat waves or sub-zero temperatures, people consume more energy to stay cool or warm, which puts excessive demand on the grid. In response, highly polluting power plants known as “peakers” fire up in the South Bronx, Sunset Park, and other low-income communities of color throughout New York City. These inefficient peakers spew harmful emissions into already overburdened communities.
The PEAK Coalition— UPROSE, THE POINT CDC, New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, and Clean Energy Group—has worked together since 2019 to end this long-standing burden on the city’s most climate-vulnerable residents. Our work shows that an equitable clean energy system to replace peaker plants can eliminate emissions, reduce utility bills, improve public health, and make the grid more resilient.
PEAKER POWER PLANTS OF NEW YORK
New York City heavily depends on peaker power plants, especially on the hottest summer days when pollution is already high. Nearly all of the peaker power plants in New York City are located in what the State defines as Disadvantaged Communities— neighborhoods with higher proportion of low-income people of color that have historically and continually bear all kinds of environmental burdens, consuming the least amount of energy, and paying higher proportions of income on energy bills.
