Yesterday, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) rebuffed an invitation from US Senator Charles Schumer to meet with the entire Western New York Congressional delegation to begin discussing a settlement between NYPA and stakeholder communities who want a better settlement in the NYPA relicensing process. This morning, Erie County Executive Joel Giambra issued a statement indicating that he would like to broker the potential settlement between NYPA and the local community.

Erie County Legislator Tim Kennedy sees this move on Giambra's part as an attempt by NYPA to set the terms under which settlement negotiations will occur - taking it out of the hands of the majority-Democratic congressional delegation and putting it squarely in the hands of NYPA's Republican political allies.

Kennedy cited the fact that the Legislature voiced its support for Congressman Brian Higgins' (D-Buffalo) improved settlement proposal in a unanimous, bipartisan fashion, after the County Executive had forwarded NYPA's lesser settlement to the Legislature for its approval. "The County Executive's attempts to interject himself into this process on behalf of his NYPA allies is too little, way too late" said Kennedy.

"By collaborating with the Power Authority in this way, Giambra is defying the will of the elected Congressional Delegation, defying the will expressed unanimously by his own Legislature, and defying the will of Western New Yorkers who want to see our community get the very best settlement possible out of the NYPA relicensing process."

Legislator Kennedy also called on the Power Authority to reconsider its hasty refusal of Senator Schumer's invitation and to enter into good-faith negotiations with stakeholder communities.

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