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CHPE was permitted by state and federal governments in 2014; the author insists…

2026-06-23 · 00:06 UTC ·@fredstaffordcs ·1 min read

Brief

CHPE received state and federal permits in 2014 but sat commercially dormant until New York created a Tier 4 program in 2020 amid negotiations with the de Blasio administration. Blackstone won a Tier 4 contract in 2022 and started construction; the author contends the state’s ratepayer cost‑recovery mechanism—not permitting—made the project financially viable, with later permitting reflecting material changes.

Why it matters

CHPE was permitted by state and federal governments in 2014; the author insists the project's long development timeline was not due to permitting.

Key details

  • Blackstone had no buyer for CHPE's power until New York created the Tier 4 program in 2020 during negotiations with the de Blasio administration.
  • Nothing substantive happened from 2014–2022 until CHPE won a Tier 4 contract in 2022 and began construction; the author argues the project was commercially unviable until the state enabled cost recovery from ratepayers and that additional permitting followed because the project materially changed.
Source evidence

This is bogus: CHPE's long development timeline wasn't about permitting but lack of a market. It was permitted by the state and federal government in 2014.

Blackstone didn't have a buyer for CHPE's power though until the state created the Tier 4 program out of thin air in 2020 alongside negotiations with De Blasio admin, who wanted a policy route to clean energy for city govt purchases. Nothing happened from 2014 to 2022 when they (surprise surprise) won a Tier 4 contract and started construction. There was more permitting after 2014 once the state program became clear because the project materially changed.

But for years that project was simply commercially unviable until the state came up with a cockamamie roundabout way to do cost recovery from ratepayers!