For over 25 years, Caithness Energy, LLC has been a pioneer in the development of clean, reliable energy. A New York-based independent power producer, Caithness currently has interests in 34 power projects, generating in excess of 3,000 megawatts (MW) across the country. Caithness is one of the nation’s largest renewable energy producers, owning and operating geothermal, wind and solar plants in the western United States. The Caithness Long Island Energy Center is being developed by Caithness Long Island, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caithness Energy, LLC.
You can visit our Web site at www.caithnessenergy.com to learn more about us.

Location: The Caithness Long Island Energy Center is being built on a fifteen acre site within a 96-acre parcel of land, centrally located in a large industrial area in the Town of Brookhaven. The site is located within the Brookhaven Empire Zone, an area specially designated by New York State and the Town of Brookhaven for industrial development.

Bordering land: The Long Island Rail Road runs along the northern perimeter of the site. Light industrial facilities border the property on the west. Undeveloped, sub-divided industrial parcels make up the border on the south. On the eastern side of the property, a 300 foot-wide Long Island Power Authority "LIPA" transmission line right-of-way borders the site along with several undeveloped industrial parcels.

Our project site is surrounded by industrial and commercial facilities and undeveloped, industrially zoned land for a considerable distance in all directions. The nearest residential communities are about three-quarters of a mile away. In contrast, almost every other major power plant on Long Island has residential communities at its borders.

Capacity: The Caithness Long Island Energy Center will generate 350 MW of clean, low-cost power. It will provide enough electricity to supply approximately 10 percent of Long Island 's growing annual demand for electricity.

Generating technology: The plant will employ advanced "combined-cycle" technology. In a combined-cycle plant, exhaust heat is captured to create additional electicity resulting in a highly fuel-efficient system. In contrast, the older baseload power plants on Long Island use a steam cycle only and are much less efficient in their use of fuel.

Fuel: The primary fuel will be clean, natural gas; oil will be used as a backup fuel during periods, such as on the coldest winter days when the demand for natural gas is at its peak. At that time we can switch to oil, allowing the natural gas supply to be used to heat hospitals, schools and other institutions.

LIPA RFP: In June of 2003, the LIPA issued a request for proposals ("RFP") for a 20-year supply of power or interstate transmission capacity from new, privately-owned facilities. LIPA received fourteen responses including the one submitted by Caithness for this project. For nine months, LIPA conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the proposals, examining their economics, reliability, fuel use, community and environmental impact and other characteristics.

Selection of Caithness: In June of 2004, LIPA's Board of Trustees selected Caithness for its attractive combination of price, fuel diversity and other economic advantages and Caithness has become a vital part of the power authority's long-term plan to meet Long Island's growing power needs. In December of 2005, LIPA approved a twenty-year agreement with Caithness to purchase low-cost, clean, reliable power produced by the plant.

All Government E.P.A. Approvals: After a thorough environmental review process, Caithness has received all required approvals from federal, state, county and town levels of government. It has received all environmental approvals from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation, which are among the strictest environmental regulations in the country. No environmental group has opposed Caithness.

Environmentally sensitive areas: The site is not within nor does it encroach on any environmentally sensitive or protected areas such as wetlands, protected rivers, parks, habitats for endangered or threatened species, or the recharge zone for the aquifer.

Air: Modern power plants are, by far, much cleaner than the older oil and gas units which make up over 90 percent of the existing generating capacity on Long Island . In part, this is because they are more efficient than plants built decades ago and therefore burn one-third less fuel per unit of electricity generated than older facilities. In addition, the advanced gas turbine technology that is available today is much cleaner than the combustion technologies available decades ago. As a result, emissions of key air quality substances will be reduced by at least 90 percent per unit of electricity generated as compared to the existing older power plants on Long Island . Over time, as our plant and others like it substitute for the older units, there will be substantial regional air quality benefits.

Greenhouse gases: Because the plant uses less fuel than older ones, it will produce one-third less greenhouse gases per unit of electricity generated.

Water consumption: Another technologically advanced feature, and a first for Long Island, is that Caithness will be an air cooled plant. The cooling system for the steam turbine will be a "closed" cycle air-cooled condenser. While more expensive than the more commonly used evaporative cooling systems, air-cooled condensers consume 95 percent less water than plants in operation on Long Island today.

Waste water: Sanitary wastewater will be discharged to septic tanks. Process waste streams suitable for discharge to groundwater will be recharged on-site; waste streams not meeting groundwater discharge standards will be held and will be disposed of off-site at an approved facility. Through the issuance of approvals by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, the project’s plant systems will comply with the rigorous regulations designed to protect the aquifer from any unintended leaks or release of regulated substances into the ground.

Host Community Benefits Program: A host community benefits program worth in excess of $150 million will benefit the schools, communities and residents surrounding the proposed Caithness Long Island Energy Center in Yaphank. The initiative includes significant environmental and economic benefits for the communities of Bellport, Brookhaven, East Patchogue, Gordon Heights, Medford, North Bellport and Yaphank. Also benefiting will be the Longwood, Patchogue-Medford and South Country School Districts, Brookhaven Town, and other special taxing jurisdictions.

Tax revenues: Over its lifetime, the Caithness Long Island Energy Center will contribute approximately $139 million in local taxes to the Town and the local school district.

Town services: The project will require little in the way of Town-provided services.

Employment: During the two-year construction period, there will be 200-300 construction workers at the project site. Between $60 - $70 million will be spent locally on wages and locally provided services. Once the plant is in operation, 20-25 long-term professional workers will be permanently employed at the site.

Scholarships: Caithness has pledged to contribute $25,000 per year to a scholarship program for students selected by the Longwood, Patchogue-Medford and South Country School Districts. The scholarships were established to promote standards of excellence and provide diverse educational opportunities for local students interested in science, engineering or environment studies.

All Government Approvals: Caithness has received all required approvals from federal, state, county and town levels of government to proceed with construction. It has received all environmental approvals from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation.

Environmental review: Power projects require various federal, state and local permits. In New York State , the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) lays out the process under which these approvals are obtained. Through this comprehensive process, issues associated with the project are thoroughly reviewed by federal, state, county and town governmental agencies.

Environmental Impact Findings: In June of 2005, LIPA, serving a lead agency under the SEQRA process, accepted the Final Environmental Impact statement for the project following public hearings and a public comment period. In December of 2005, the SEQRA findings statement was issued by the LIPA Board, concluding that the project would have minimal or no adverse environmental impacts. In December of 2005, the SEQRA findings statement was issued by the LIPA Board, concluding that the project would have “no adverse environmental impacts.”

Public participation: The procedures outlined in SEQRA provided for public participation through a number of forums at various stages of the approval process. A number of public meetings were held and citizen input was encouraged and included as part of the SEQRA determinations.


For more information contact Donald Miller at 516-536-6811.