Press Release

Con Edison announced that it filed an Article X Pre-Application with the New York Public Service Commission yesterday for its plan to increase the steam and electric output of the company’s East River Generating Station located at 14th Street and Avenue C. An Article X filing is required whenever a generating plant that is being modified or constructed will exceed 80 megawatts of capacity.

The pre-application process provides an opportunity for the company to consult informally with regulators, local governmental officials and other interested parties early in the planning phase of the project. As part of the process, Con Edison has already held an initial public forum where citizens were given an opportunity to comment on the company’s proposal. Additionally, company officials have met with city agencies, elected officials and community and environmental groups.

According to the plan, the repowered East River Station would replace the steam and electric generating capacity of the company’s Waterside Generating Station, located on First Avenue at East 39th Street, which would then be sold along with several other company properties on First Avenue. Con Edison projects that the proposed changes to the facilities and the sale of its First Avenue property will generate additional city and state tax revenues, create hundreds of high-paying construction jobs, and stimulate significant economic activity in the area.

The repowering of the facility will help Con Edison to maintain the reliability of its steam system and to stabilize steam rates. The project will involve installation of new state-of-the-art equipment in an unused section of the power plant and will not necessitate enlarging the existing structure. The high efficiency of the new equipment will also result in an increase in electric capacity at the site.

Following the pre-application period, the company plans to formally submit its Article X filing by January 1, 2000 and anticipates receipt of the necessary approvals by March 2001, when construction will commence. The project is presently scheduled for completion early in the year 2002. Throughout the process, Con Edison will continue to work closely with citizens, businesses and government officials to ensure that community concerns are addressed. For additional information, visit the East River Generating Station Repowering Plan web site at www.coned.com/ERRP or you can send an email to ERRP@coned.com.