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In Brief:
- Electricity demand on Long Island is surging due to AI, manufacturing and electrification.
- Nearly 6 gigawatts of New York’s fossil fuel generation is nearing the end of its lifespan.
- Repowering existing plants can improve reliability, reduce emissions and control costs.
- Modernizing facilities would support thousands of union jobs and protect local economies.
Long Island, much like everywhere else, is facing a nearly unprecedented surge in electricity demand – from the boom in artificial intelligence supported by power-hungry data centers, to ongoing advanced manufacturing needs and electrification mandates.
At the same time, nearly a quarter of New York’s fossil fuel generation—about 6 gigawatts—are nearing the end of their useful lifespan, poised to hit 80 years old by 2050, with the oldest plants concentrated downstate, particularly on Long Island.
The older plants grow without refurbishment, the less reliable they are. That is a big problem, as these facilities are critical to the reliability of our electric grid. And, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the nonprofit tasked with managing the state’s power grid, made clear in its 2025 Power Trends report:
(https://www.nyiso.com/documents/20142/2223020/2025-Power-Trends.pdf) that retiring these aging facilities can’t be done without threatening reliability and putting economic viability at risk.
The union movement on Long Island supports continued investments in renewable energy sources, and the truth is they will not come online fast enough, and with enough capacity, to meet the state’s rising power demand. There is a way forward: repowering.
Repowering, as the NYISO explains, is the process of retrofitting and modernizing existing plants to make more reliable, more cost effective, and cleaner; while extending their lifespans. This approach increases generation capacity at a time when it is desperately needed, and ensures reliability as we pursue a cleaner energy portfolio.
Upgrading the units in our aging power plants will also create thousands of construction jobs that offer family-sustaining wages and benefits, while protecting the generation and maintenance workforce currently at these facilities.
We owe it to them to create an energy future that respects the work they have done – in many cases, for generations – to keep our lights on and our economic engine turning. Therefore, we must invest in the infrastructure that we have relied on for so long, and in doing so, redouble our investment in the skilled workforce that has kept it running.
When we modernize baseload facilities, it avoids the escalating repair and maintenance costs associated with keeping outdated units online, and replaces those expenses with long-term, efficient infrastructure that lowers operational costs, directly benefiting ratepayers. At the same time, the investment required drives a powerful economic ripple effect across Long Island by supporting thousands of union jobs, strengthening local supply chains, and protecting tax revenues in the communities that host this critical infrastructure. On Long Island, where electricity needs are expected to grow by as much as 50 percent from 2024 to 2050, the reliability boost from repowering will be significant.
Upgrades to existing power plants on Long Island, like those owned by National Grid, will allow our power producers to generate far more electricity within their same footprint – reducing the need for entirely new energy facilities as we continue to make energy progress.
Replacing older units with modern technology will deliver significant environmental benefits, slashing emissions. New units should be designed to be hydrogen-ready, as well, positioning them to seamlessly move to zero-emission generation if and when it’s practical and affordable.
Building a cleaner grid must include New York’s skilled energy workers. By repowering our oldest power plants, New York can power its future, protect its workers, and ensure dependable and affordable energy supply for all.
John Durso is the president of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, the fourth-largest central labor council in the United States, located in Hauppauge.
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