A longtime Staten Island legislator is bringing his decades of experience to a new role at the New York Power Authority.
Former Assemblyman Michael Cusick has been appointed to the board of trustees for the New York State Power Authority, the country’s largest state-run power organization which provides electricity to hundreds of nonprofits organizations and public entities, including the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the City University of New York (CUNY).
“I am honored to have been nominated and confirmed to this position and I’m always proud to represent Staten Island and in this position I’ll be able to do that again,” Cusick said. “It’s an honor to be able to continue my public service in this capacity as a New York Power Authority trustee.”
Cusick, who was recently nominated by Gov. Kathy Hochul and approved by the New York State Senate, is uniquely qualified for the role based on his 20 years representing the Mid-Island in the New York State Assembly, the last five of which he spent serving as chair of the Assembly’s Energy committee.
“In that capacity, I have traveled across New York state and visited many energy facilities, not only owned by the New York Power Authority, but also by private entities, and I’ve been involved in a lot of the policies that have been set throughout the state over the past 30 years, not only when it comes to energy, but when it comes to authorities all over the state,” said Cusick.
Among his new responsibilities will be working with senior officials at the New York Power Authority to implement policies and help run the 16 power-generating facilities across the state.
“There are many power plants throughout the state that are run by the New York Power Authority and we will oversee the running of those facilities that help provide energy to New Yorkers throughout the entire state,” Cusick said.
The New York Power Authority plays a crucial role in the state’s ongoing climate initiatives, including plans to fully decarbonize the state’s electricity system by 2040.
“The legislature this year, along with the governor, gave the New York Power Authority expanded responsibilities and powers to facilitate the state’s climate change benchmarks,” Cusick said. “I am looking forward to working very hard to make sure that the state is doing this in a responsible manner, in a balanced way, and that we’re working to meet these goals and protect our residents.”
The former assemblyman told the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com that his new role on the board of trustees will not impact his current position as president and CEO of the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC).
“I am proud to have nominated Michael Cusick to the NYPA Board and I congratulate him on his confirmation. During his tenure in the Assembly, Michael was a leader on energy and environmental policy, and as a member of the NYPA Board his partnership will be critical as we accelerate the development of new renewable energy across the State of New York,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Source : Silive
