ROCHESTER - Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Wednesday announced a settlement with Rochester Gas and Electric that will require the company to shut down its coal-burning Russell power plant in the Town of Greece in Monroe County.

The agreement also mandates that if RG&E replaces the coal-burning facility, they must build a cleaner, state-of-the-art natural gas plant. As a result of this settlement, thousands of tons of air pollution will be eliminated in the Rochester area annually. 

“This settlement represents a victory for the residents of the

Rochester area on several fronts,” said Cuomo. “The Russell coal plant will finally be closed and the stage is now set to replace it with a cleaner, more productive, state-of-the-art facility.”

Under the settlement, RG&E must permanently shut down the Russell power plant following improvements to power lines and substations, which are expected to be completed in May 2008.  If RG&E builds another plant, the settlement requires that this new plant be a state-of-the-art natural gas burning facility.  RG&E has already indicated its desire to replace the Russell plant and that it will conform to these requirements.  The company has informed the New York Independent System Operator, which manages New York’s electricity transmission grid, that it plans to build a new 300 megawatt electricity generating plant at the site.

The settlement also requires RG&E to pay $500,000 to fund energy efficiency and air pollution reduction projects in the Rochester area, including Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, and Livingston counties.