Editing Bethlehem, New York (section)

==Electric power facilities==
===Bethlehem Energy Center===
Pursuant to Article X of the [[New York State Public Service Commission|Public Service Law]], PSEG Energy Resource & Trade LLC (originally filed by Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation (NMPC) in 1998) was granted a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need for a 750-[[watt|megawatt]] (MW) [[combined cycle]] natural gas powered plant in 2002. The project went into service in July 2005. There are three [[Gas turbine|combustion turbines]] whose exhaust creates steam to drive a [[steam turbine]]. All of the turbines are manufactured by [[General Electric]]. It uses an [[Condenser (heat transfer)|air-cooled condenser]] to reduce water draw. It is located on a 186-acre former industrial area that was owned by NMPC and housed the former 376 MW coal-powered Albany Steam Station. NMPC sold the land to PSEG in 2000. In 2017, the Bethlehem Energy Center (BEC), as it is also known, injected 5,303 [[watt-hours|GWh]] of electric energy into the electric transmission system. This is equivalent to operating at full capacity for approximately 73.4% of the year. For comparison, the capital region consumed 11,823 GWh of electric energy in 2017. Its power is sold into the electric wholesale market administered by the [[New York energy law#Energy-related authorities|NYISO]].

As a requirement of its certificate, PSEG created an estuary to offset the industrial development of the plant (1.5 acres of new wetland for every acre of newly industrialized area) with fish stocking included.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/Common/ViewDoc.aspx?DocRefId={946B1AF8-7B1F-4C61-BE6B-6E4A38886BA8}|title=opinion and order granting certificate of environmental compatibility and public need subject to conditions (case no. 97-F-2162)|page=2,12,13|date=February 28, 2002|access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref><ref name="2018 GB">{{cite web|url=https://www.nyiso.com/documents/20142/2226333/2018-Load-Capacity-Data-Report-Gold-Book.pdf/7014d670-2896-e729-0992-be44eb935cc2|title=NYISO 2018 Gold Book (pdf)|work=www.nyiso.com|pages=13, 63|access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.powermag.com/bethlehem-energy-center-glenmont-new-york/|title=Bethlehem Energy Center, Glenmont, New York|publisher=Powermag.com|author=John Javetski|pages=1, 3|date=August 15, 2006|access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref>

In 2015, the BEC filed for an amendment of their Article X certificate to increase the certificate power generation amount by around 36 MW. This increase corresponded to an upgrade in turbine components and software from GE. A noise study was commissioned to evaluate any possible noise impact on the local community. The amendment was granted noting that there would not be an increase in air emissions or facility footprint.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/Common/ViewDoc.aspx?DocRefId={BB5649E5-DA53-4461-A133-B0188B52CC5E}|title=order granting amendment of certificate of environmental compatibility and public need subject to conditions (case no. 15-F-0040)|date=January 12, 2017|pages=1–3, 5, 13, 14|access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ge.com/power/services/gas-turbines/upgrades/advanced-gas-path|title=GE Advanced Gas Path Website|access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref> There was a corresponding 78.1 MW increase in its summer capacity market offering capability between the 2015 NYISO Gold Book and the 2018 NYISO Gold Book.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyiso.com/public/webdocs/markets_operations/services/planning/Documents_and_Resources/Planning_Data_and_Reference_Docs/Data_and_Reference_Docs/2015%20Load%20%20Capacity%20Data%20Report_Revised.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116001303/http://www.nyiso.com/public/webdocs/markets_operations/services/planning/Documents_and_Resources/Planning_Data_and_Reference_Docs/Data_and_Reference_Docs/2015%20Load%20%20Capacity%20Data%20Report_Revised.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 16, 2018|title=NYISO 2015 Gold Book|page=55|date=April 2016|access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref> In its 2018 adopted budget, the Town of Bethlehem noted a revenue of  $214,941 from [[payments in lieu of taxes]] most of which can be assumed to come from the BEC. For comparison, the Town of Bethlehem noted a total budget of about $42 million for 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ny-bethlehem.civicplus.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1593|title=Town of Bethlehem 2018 Budget Detail (p. 13 of 34)|page=13|access-date=November 14, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ny-bethlehem.civicplus.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1594|title=Town of Bethlehem 2018 Budget Presentation (slide 2)|page=1|date=November 8, 2017|access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref>