While Plug Power has paused construction of its $290 million green hydrogen plant at WNY STAMP it has continued to make full PILOT payments to local taxing jurisdictions, according to Mark Masse, CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
According to the tax agreement between GCEDC and Plug Power, the payments are $147,599 annually to Genesee County, $308,368 to school districts, and $42,805 to the town of Alabama.
The project has been on pause since January 2024, Masse said, and that pause led GCEDC to take over the construction of a $55 million 450-megawatt substation electrical transmission to STAMP projects, which Plug Power originally agreed to fund.
Empire State Development agreed to allow GCEDC to tap into a $56 million grant to help pay for the substation. The grant was intended for other infrastructure at STAMP. Masse said that once completed, the substation will generate fees for electric delivery that will enable GCEDC to recover the funds and return the expenditure to the grant account.
"As companies come online, they will buy into the substation on a per megawatt charge," Masse said. "So, we'll take the total cost of the station divided by 600 megawatts and come up with a per megawatt charge. So, for ballpark, if it's $200,000 a megawatt, somebody wants 200 megawatts, it's a $40 million pay-in to buy into the substation, which will enable us then to basically get that money back for New York State, so we can use that to pay for the substation, and then repurpose the FAST New York funds back for what we originally wanted to use them for on infrastructure."
Masse said he has no insight on what Plug's long-range plans are for the project.
Each year, projects that receive GCEDC assistance must submit Annual Performace Reports that detail the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment.
"We summarize all of those. We share them with the board," Masse said. "The board reviews them every year, and then the board makes a determination, did they meet their job requirements? Do they have the insurance requirements? And where are they in that one plus three."
The "one plus three" means a project has one year to complete construction and three years to complete its job creation promise.
"Then the board would make a determination -- do we want to ask them to come in and explain anything? Do you want to move forward with a termination? Any of those things are always on the table," Masse said. "In Plug's case, they are current with all of their PILOT payments, and the payments they're making to the municipalities are significant, which is the other thing to balance in the whole piece of it as well."
An important potential path for Plug Power is producing more of the hydrogen it distributes. If ever completed, the WNY STAMP plant is expected to produce 45 metric tons of green liquid hydrogen daily. It would be fair the most product plant under the company's control so its surprising that there is no clear indication that Plug intends to complete the plant.
Plug Power's representatives have never responded to The Batavian's requests for comment on the future of the plant.
Just before Donald Trump took office in January, the Plug Power secured a $1.7 billion loan guarantee from the Department of Energy. After taking office, Trump froze DOE grants and loans for green energy.
"I see that the DOE loan will be supported," Marsh said. "It’s a contract with the government. I’m not too worried; it’s not out of line with the goals of the Trump administration. So, you know, from a policy environment point of view, it feels hectic at the moment, but I’m really not that concerned that these things will all work themselves out."
With every season that doesn't end in a championship, you can look back to missed opportunities and questionable calls. I’m confident that the Buffalo Bills are already looking past that and getting ready for more success.
That’s because in the NFL, now is the time to evaluate what the best team-building investments will be for the future.
Some of our favorite players will be leaving for other teams and new ones will come on board. Coaches and front office professionals are getting promoted, hired away by other teams, or retiring. It’s a relief we have our No. 1 asset in place - MVP Josh Allen.
The same is true in our workforce team-building activities. The future is here. It's time to move forward and find a way to win.
Parents, teachers and leaders have done an outstanding job encouraging our students to explore careers and training programs.
If you are a business, you can do the same – and directly benefit from this momentum! By building your bench, you have the talent to succeed.
In the NFL, dynasties are built after years of player development and success in the draft. The Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program (FLYAP) is that opportunity.
In January, FLYAP celebrated 40 first-round draft picks selected by local companies to complete a job shadow or a paid co-op. These students will embark on a professional career entering the ranks as a top prospect, with hands-on experience achieved before graduation!
Our businesses don’t have it as easy as teams in the NFL, where there’s only 31 other teams to compete with. You compete for talent across industries and regions.
File photo of Chris Suozzi.
Participating in youth apprenticeships and the summer pre-apprenticeship programs is a great path to stand out to students with many options available to them.
And those options are growing! Major projects under construction in Genesee County by Edwards Vacuum and Oxbo will soon be adding 350+ new jobs.
Thankfully, we continue to make investments to broaden and improve our talent base.
In partnership with local organizations, the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation is investing in training equipment. Together, we are creating a lasting foundation that strengthens our communities and boosts the economy.
At the high school level, the GGLDC has invested in a brand-new CNC router for the Batavia Technology Department at Batavia High School.
At Genesee Valley BOCES, the GGLDC provided another piece of training equipment that will expand students’ capabilities in refrigeration technologies.
At The BEST Center at Genesee Community College, the GGLDC is supporting the installation of a CNC router for students to explore another pathway into careers.
These programs and investments will accelerate our students' journey to well-paid, rewarding careers. Our local, robust food processing, skilled trades, and manufacturing sectors can easily recruit students who are prepared from day one to diagnose and solve problems.
If you can’t wait for the next draft day to find your workforce talent, I’m here to help.
Contact me at csuozzi@gcedc.com, 585-409-1301, or linkedin.com/in/chrissuozzi.
Chris “Coach SwazZ” Suozzi is the Executive Vice President of Business & Workforce Development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
A coalition of 69 environmental, faith, human rights, and good governance groups from across New York State are demanding that three developers withdraw their applications to site a data center at the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP). In their letters, the groups cite the threat data centers pose to regional environmental quality, local quality of life, and the sovereignty and well-being of the federally recognized Tonawanda Seneca Nation, whose Reservation Territory abuts the parcel under consideration for a data center.
The letters assert the data center proposals are “not aligned with either New York state or international commitments to environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and long-term stewardship.” Rather, placing a data center at STAMP would “move our state in the direction of further environmental injustice.”
Signatories include the Western New York Environmental Alliance, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, Citizen Action of New York, Interfaith Climate Justice Community, and the NY Renews Coalition, which itself represents more than 400 environmental organizations across the state.
The coalition announces the delivery of these letters on the same day the Genesee Economic Development Center (GCEDC) plans to hold daytime public hearings on the three proposals. These hearings are required by Article 18-1 of the General Municipal Law and pertain to financial incentives proposed by GCEDC to each of the three applicants. GCEDC posted documents regarding these proposed incentives to their website at midday on Friday, January 31, which was also the deadline for the submission of written comments on said incentives.
To date, GCEDC has refused to disclose the identities of the companies represented by the investor group applicants. The financial incentive documents offer tax exemptions in the hundreds of millions of dollars to these unknown companies. To date, STAMP has already received more than $410 million in public monies.
“I am outraged at GCEDC’s utter failure of transparency and violation of the public trust. They scheduled ‘public’ hearings on these data centers in the middle of a workday with less than two weeks’ notice and then quietly buried information about proposed giveaways of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to an obscure part of their website on the last business day before hearing public comment on these subsidies - which, I’ll add, would be directed to operations that will harm our shared environment and destroy our local quality of life,” said Margaret Wooster, one of the letter drafters and a Board Member of the Western New York Environmental Alliance. “This is shameful. Clearly, GCEDC does not actually want to know what we think about these incentives. Subsidies to a data center will not benefit the public: every person who pays taxes, breathes air, and drinks water in Western New York should be angry.”
‘Data center’ is a generic term referring to operations ranging from cryptocurrency mining to Artificial Intelligence processing. As the coalition’s letter outlines, data centers are well known for their massive energy demands - in the case of the three applications under consideration, between 195-250 MW of electricity per year - and their use of vast quantities of water. One of the applicants, Project Rampart, would include a ten million gallon holding pond.
Data Centers produce continuous, jet-engine-like noise that can be heard up to eight miles away. Scientific research establishes a link between excessive noise exposure and harms to both public health and the health of wildlife. Data centers also produce significant air pollution and large quantities of e-waste. Their strain to the energy grid can increase the frequency of blackouts and brownouts. The building of new infrastructure needed to service data centers is associated with consumer energy rate increases. Data centers produce few permanent jobs and rarely remain in operation for more than 10-15 years.
Data centers face opposition from other WNY communities concerned about their noxious public health and environmental impacts. The proposed data center would be sited on a parcel of land characterized by wetlands and located immediately adjacent to the Reservation Territory of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, whose Council of Chiefs opposes STAMP.
Emotional moment: "This is one of the few natural areas remaining in this region of the state, and it seems ridiculous to throw away," said Maggie Cowen. Photo by Howard Owens.
Data centers are big, noisy, use too much energy, and pose a risk to watersheds, more than two dozen speakers told the staff of the Genesee County Economic Development Center at three public hearings on Monday in the town of Alabama.
The hearing was held at the rec hall of the Alabama Volunteer Fire Department and was attended by more than 50 people. Some brought signs or wore T-shirts expressing their opposition to locating a data center at WNY STAMP.
They came from Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara County, Orleans County, and Genesee County, including the Tonawanda Seneca Indian Reservation.
The proposed projects are massive -- all more than 750,000 square feet, or more than 13 football fields -- and will range in cost from $2.2 billion to $6.32 billion. They would each create from 100 to 200 jobs.
The three projects are STREAM U.S. Data Centers, LLC, Project Rampart, LLC, Potentia Holdings, LLC.
Exactly what kind of data the proposed centers would store and retrieve is unclear, but data centers typically provide services for artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency data mining, data analytics and storage, IT and telecommunications, and co-location services for major corporations.
Stream Realty Partners builds data centers for Fortune 500 companies. PRP Real Estate Investment Management backs Project Rampart, and its clients include Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, and Amazon. Potentia Capital is an Australian private equity firm specializing in technology, software, and tech-enabled services.
These sorts of projects are usually backed by a consortium of private equity investors, often global in nature.
CORRECTION from prior version of the story: Neither Steam nor Project Rampart are seeking property tax exemptions, just sales tax and mortgage tax exemptions. The Stream project would generate $10.9 million in annual revenue for local municipalities and school districts, and Project Rampart, $10.3 million annually. Potentia is seeking $42.7 million in property tax exemptions over 20 years, resulting in an average of $7.1 million in annual PILOT fees.
Many speakers questioned whether data centers fit into the promised profile of WNY STAMP, which was sold to the community as a high-tech manufacturing hub, much like the Edwards Vacuum plant currently under construction.
Edwards is promising 600 jobs in a 240,000-square-foot facility, or one job per 400 square feet. Stream is projecting one job (at a salary of $89,000 annually) per 7,800 square feet, Rampart, one job ($64,000 annually per 7,142 square feet, and Potentia, one job ($129,000 annually) per 4,460 square feet.
There is only enough space available in STAMP for one of these data centers, so the GCEDC board will need to decide whether to reject all of them or pick only one of them for approval.
Data centers have been controversial in other communities, and several speakers brought up issues with the Digihost Fortistar Niagara County facility. It is a 60 MW cryptocurrency mining operation located off Erie Avenue in North Tonawanda. Residents there have protested against noise pollution, leading the city to ban the facility from expanding for two years.
The controversy in Niagara County about data centers may have contributed to chasing away Kevin O’Leary, of Shark Tank fame, when he sought to build a data center in the region. He claimed the project was fully funded and would have created thousands of jobs. He said he ran into significant roadblocks raised by local politicians and state policies.
He reportedly said on CNN, "It got so bad with the politicians in the local region and the state policy, we moved it to Norway, and all the jobs. Norway has it now. Thousands of jobs coming out of that! That’s New York. Uninvestable.”
While many speakers on Monday focused on these issues, the only matter before the GCEDC board, when the projects come up for a vote, is economic -- will a data center create jobs and help grow tax revenue in Genesee County? NOTE: The environmental issues will come before the board during the SEQRA, if GCEDC is lead agency.
Mark Masse taking notes during testimony. Photo by Howard Owens.
If approved by the board, the winning project must jump through a series of regulatory hoops, including:
State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) compliance, which assesses potential impacts on air quality, water resources, wildlife, and other environmental factors. GCEDC has applied for lead agency status for the SEQRA review.
Air and Water Quality Permits, which cover air emissions and water usage. It would be up to the Department of Environmental Conservation to provide the permits.
The project must comply with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which focuses on greenhouse gas emissions. There would also be a requirement for energy consumption disclosure.
The town of Alabama's local zoning boards and the Genesee County Planning Board would review the projects. The project would need to comply with existing noise ordinances, for example, as well as other land-use regulations. As part of the public hearing process at the local level, the developer would need to address community concerns about noise, emissions, and resource usage.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Highlights of speakers' remarks (not all speakers included):
Madeline Nyblade, an assistant professor at SUNY ESF with a Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences, specializing in hydrology. Nyblade expressed concern about the hydrology of the region, which includes wetlands and clay-rich soils that create perched water tables. The area is upstream from critical ecosystems such as the Tonawanda Seneca Nation lands, the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area, and the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, making it susceptible to downstream impacts.
“This land is wetland, part of this larger wetland complex, yet none of the proposals take into account the wetlands that will be destroyed,” she said.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Margaret Wooster, reading a letter from Allies of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, Western New York Environmental Alliance, and 57 other environmental, faith-based, human rights, and good governance groups. The letter states that the project contradicts New York State’s and international commitments to environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and long-term stewardship and expresses concerns about the destruction of wetlands. The data centers will consume 200 megawatts of electricity annually, straining regional energy systems, she said. The centers would also use 800,000 gallons of fresh water daily. She also raised concerns about air pollution.
“Industrial runoff, hydrological disruptions, and heated water discharge from a data center would devastate these fragile ecosystems,” she said.
Joseph O’Malley (reading a statement by John Whitney) The letter noted the area is a 20,000-acre network of wetlands and wildlife refuges critical to biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
“The GCEDC STAMP site is situated in an area with deep cultural and ecological significance," the letter stated. "It is central to Western New York’s heritage, including that of the Haudenosaunee people and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation.”
It also called into question the "excessive" financial incentives given the limited number of jobs expected.
“Public funds should not be used to incentivize these uncertain benefits, not without first conducting an independent economic analysis of the costs and benefits,” he said.
The long-term costs could outweigh any short-term financial gains, he said, especially if rapid technology advancements render the facilities obsolete in a few years.
Dr. Kirk Scirto Photo by Howard Owens.
Dr. Kirk Scirto, a family physician who treats patients from Tonawanda Seneca Nation and is a public health specialist He said the data centers would emit at least 500 tons of carbon dioxide annually and burn 60,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year, leading to air pollution that disproportionately affects the nearby Tonawanda Seneca Nation. The noise, he said, would be 50–90 decibels, "akin to jet engine noise." The projects he said are a threat to The Big Woods, a key hunting ground for residents of the reservation. Water usage, he said, would deplete resources for the surrounding counties. The superheated discharge water, which could also contain toxins, could harm downstream fisheries. If the centers are used for AI, AI could lead to significant job loss throughout the United States.
"In medicine, we study how parasites suck up the nutrients or resources while harming them," Scirto said. "Well, that's exactly what these data centers are -- parasitic centers that would suck up an immense amount of the drinking water of Niagara, Orleans, Erie and Genesee county residents. They would also steal a huge amount of their energy in exchange for a barrage of contamination. What's more, hardly any jobs would be offered to local residents."
Photo by Howard Owens.
Diane Sirczyk, representing the Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club "Data centers around the country are notoriously dirty and noisy consumers of vast amounts of electricity, which are straining electric grids, emitting large volumes of greenhouse gas pollution and undermining our country's ability to transition away from fossil fuels," she said.
She noted that Project Potentia, if approved, would require 195 megawatts of electricity per year, which is enough to power about 32,000 homes.
She suggested the data centers would not comply with CLCPA.
Barbara Jonathan Jonathan said she lives near Big Woods. She expressed concern about the impact on future generations, given the potential for a negative environmental impact. She expressed concerns that the data center will have no accountability and no relationship with the local community once built.
“Where are these people who operate these data centers? Are they going to really give a damn about you or me?” she said.
Mark Masse repeats a request for Sarah Howard to conclude her remarks after she had run well over her alloted time. Photo by Howard Owens.
Sarah Howard, a resident of Syracuse Howard opposed the incentives and criticized GCEDC for a "lack of transparency" and "procedural flaws."
She expressed environmental concerns, concerns about energy consumption, and a lack of a significant number of jobs created by the projects.
“The revised EAF states no water is needed for cooling but includes an 8-acre retention pond holding 10 million gallons. This raises serious questions about transparency," she said.
Howard was the only speaker who steadfastly refused to stop talking at the end of her time limit.
Maggie Cowen (reading a statement from a person named George) Cowen noted that wastewater from a data center could contaminate Orleans County rivers and creeks, ultimately reaching Lake Ontario and affecting its growing tourism industry, notably fishing. Cowen noted that a data center in Niagara County generates noise levels from its cooling fans of 85 decibels. Cowen argued that a data center provides no meaningful value to the community.
Cowen fought back tears near the end and said, "I've got a little bit more time, so I just like to say, like, this is one of the few natural areas remaining in this region of the state, and it seems ridiculous to throw away."
Evelyn Wackett, Buffalo resident and environmentalist The STAMP project threatens endangered and threatened species, she said, including the short-eared owl, northern harrier hawk, monarch butterfly, and bog turtles. She said a data center would draw six million gallons of water from the Niagara River daily.
“Yesterday was World Wetlands Day," she said. "I want to celebrate the wetlands. I don’t want to see them destroyed.”
Kristen Moser Photo by Howard Owens.
Kristen Moser, a wildlife photographer from Syracuse Moser said these projects do not belong near the Tonawanda Seneca Nation or the surrounding wildlife refuges, including the John White Wildlife Management Area, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area, and Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area.
“The Big Woods is home to over 100 species of birds, many of which are dependent on undisturbed areas to reproduce,” she said.
She played a recording of birds singing in the woodlands and then a recording from the same spot when a supply truck for one of the STAMP projects passed by. The birds were silent and only the truck could be heard.
"That's what you'll be hearing if these three data centers go in," she said. "If any of this continued destruction continues, the data center would be one of the closest complexes to this exceptional forest. The sound of the trucks will be multiplied by the constant industrial sounds of the center. Noise pollution will not only impact and displace wildlife in the Big Woods, it will forever destroy the peace and serenity of this sacred land for the people of Tonawanda."
Katie Rivers, Alabama Rivers said she has lived near the project site for 30 years. She said development has already disrupted local wildlife, particularly deer, which have been displaced from their natural habitats. She suggested economic developers and planners prioritize corporate interests over community welfare.
“It seems like you’ve all been bamboozled," Rivers said. "I can’t even imagine that you think this could be beneficial to anybody in the town.”
Angela Carlson Photo by Howard Owens.
Angela Carlson, from Oakfield, now living in Batavia She claimed that a cost-benefit analysis has not been produced, violating General Municipal Law 859-a. She highligned the environmental risks of the project and its potential adverse impact on threatened species such as the northern harrier and short-eared owl.
She called on GCEDC to produce a cost-benefit analysis, disclose the names of the owners and operators of the projects, conduct a comprehensive noise study, and provide more opportunities for public participation.
“One cannot claim to care about the environment while continuing to disregard and disrespect the rights of Indigenous peoples,” Carlson said.
Concerned residents on behalf of the Reservation Territory of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation are highlighting the Genesee County Economic Development Center's (GCEDC) plan to hold daytime public hearings on proposals from three investor groups vying to site a data center at the WNY Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) mega industrial site, currently being constructed in the town of Alabama.
The February 3 hearings are required by Article 18-1 of the General Municipal Law and pertain to financial incentives promised by GCEDC to each of the three applicants. GCEDC has not released any details on these financial incentives, meaning that the public will not have a chance to review this information prior to submitting written or oral comments.
Moreover, GCEDC has refused to disclose the identities of the companies represented by the investor group applicants. ‘Data center’ is a generic term that can refer to operations ranging from cryptocurrency mining to Artificial Intelligence processing.
Based on financial incentives offered to the only other confirmed tenants at STAMP - Edwards Vacuum and Plug Power, these incentives are likely to be in the ballpark of several million dollars - despite the fact that data centers create minimal jobs, use massive amounts of water and energy, and face opposition from other WNY communities concerned about their noxious public health and environmental impacts. The proposed data center would be sited on a parcel of land characterized by wetlands and located immediately adjacent to the Reservation Territory of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, whose Council of Chiefs opposes STAMP.
Three public hearings held by STAMP developer GCEDC to gather comments on proposed data center applications. GCEDC is also accepting written comments to gcedc@gcedc.com before 12 p.m. on Friday, January 31. The email must contain the project name in its subject line.
On Monday, February 3 at Town of Alabama Fire Department 2230 Judge Road, Alabama
Officials at the Genesee County Economic Development Center do anticipate that Plug Power will complete construction, at some point, of its clean hydrogen fuel plant at WNY STAMP.
"We continue to check in with them periodically," said CEO Mark Masse. "They've said the project is on pause, but it's still a very important part of their overall strategic goal of green hydrogen production, and they're still intending to construct the facility at STAMP."
The Lathan-based hydrogen company received word a week ago that the Department of Energy finalized a $1.66 billion loan guarantee with the company, which the company said would be used to complete construction on six plants, without specifically naming the $290 million project in Genesee County as one of the plants it will continue work on.
There's been some doubt about the future of the plant since HeatMap reported in October that the WNY STAMP project was not included in the DOE loan application. The DOE has not responded to The Batavian's request to obtain a copy of the document.
Chris Suozzi, VP for business and workforce development at the GCEDC, reportedly told a Washington, D.C.-based commercial real estate firm that Plug Power's STAMP project is on hold.
According to Heatmap, Suozzi spoke to PRP Real Estate Management. The firm recorded the phone call.
“They’re not ready to go," Suozzi reportedly said. "They’re on pause. We don’t know what’s going to happen with them at this point.”
Masse said Plug Power was in a "holding pattern" while awaiting news of the DOE loan.
"I have not followed up with them since the announcement," Masse said. "I don't think the announcement stated where the loan guarantee was going to go, but I'm sure we'll be reaching out to them at some point here soon, just to get another update from them and find out what their plans are for that funding."
The new potential barrier for Plug Power, however, may be an executive order signed by Donald Trump on his first day in office freezing disbursement of funds under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act targeted to clean energy projects.
The order explicitly targets grants, which have mostly been distributed already, but it's unclear how it affects the DOE's Loan Program Office.
The loan closed a week ago, but it is unclear whether the funds were transferred to Plug by Monday. A public relations representative did not respond to The Batavian's request for comment on the project.
The office of Sen. Charles Schumer did not respond to The Batavian's request for a comment on the status of the project and the loan.
The stock market has not reacted favorably to news of the loan closing. Since Thursday, the price per share of Plug's stock has dropped from an open of $2.75 to a close on Wednesday of $2.05.
The company reportedly already carries $930 million in debt, and at no point in its 28-year history has it turned a profit.
Plug Power also faces a class-action lawsuit filed in May claiming that the company's stock price was artificially inflated between May 9, 2023, and January 16, 2024.
The plaintiffs claim that the company and a pair of senior officers misled investors by lying and withholding information about delays in the build-out plans of its production facilities in SEC filings.
Plug Power is currently the nation's largest producer of green hydrogen. Its Georgia plant produces 15 tons of liquid hydrogen per day. Its Tennessee plant produces 10 tons per day. It also has an operational plant in St. Gabriel, Lousiana.
If the WNY STAMP plant ever comes online, it is expected to produce 74 tons daily. The company is also constructing additional plants in New York and Texas.
The company seeks to become the nation's first vertically integrated green hydrogen producer, providing customers with fuel, products, and support. Plug aims to provide customers fuel cells, electrolyzers (splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen), and liquid hydrogen fuel. They currently provide companies like Walmart and Amazon with hydrogen-powered forklifts. The company sees a future in hydrogen powering long-haul trucking.
Chris Suozzi of Genesee County Economic Development Center, left, and teacher Charlie Voorhees watch student Gunner Pietrzykowski operate a CNC machine at Batavia High School. Photo by Howard Owens
Gunner Pietrzykowski, a Batavia High School sophomore, has an easygoing way of working with a CNC machine that’s new to the State Street engineering class as of fall 2024.
The 15-year-old was demonstrating the steps involved with the computer numerical control router, which takes a computer-generated design and cuts or chisels out the shape.
“This is the first design we’ve made on this machine,” Gunner said Friday at the school. “It’s a sumo robot for Tech Wars.”
He and fellow 10th-grader Lawrence Chen were working on getting the machine’s blade at the right depth to completely cut through the piece of wood. It first made a perfect circle and then cut an arc out of the other half of the wood.
“I’ve always liked working with my hands and learning visually, and always liked computers and working with machines and tools,” Gunner said, sharing what he first learned in fourth grade Innovator’s Club. “We were doing Lego robots, small and simple. It was a start.”
Six years later, he has more recently been interested in aerospace engineering, with an eye toward designing airplanes or airships, he said. Since Charlie Voorhees’ class received this machine, funded by the district and Genesee County Economic Development Center, it has made a difference in executing projects, the teen said.
“It makes life a whole lot easier with cutting; it’s easier to get it right on the machine by doing it on a computer without wasting materials,” Gunner said. “Before, it took three or four designs, with all the angles and shapes.”
Using the machines is Lawrence’s favorite part of class, he said. He has especially enjoyed the sumo project.
“It’s really cool, we’re going to make robots and going to compete,” he said.
EDC Executive Vice President of Business and Workforce Development Chris Suozzi likes the fact that Gunner’s early start in the field has aligned with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies, up through high school and into his newfound aerospace interests, he said.
Offering this opportunity for hands-on learning with this machine opens another door for jobs and a career, he said. He visited the classroom last year and Voorhees told him of a need for the CNC equipment, which.
“I said, it's beautiful because I have opportunities from our agency that helps, and I'm trying to do a lot more in K through 12 to inspire kids about opportunities like this and tying that into local careers,” Suozzi said. “So we have legacy companies here, Graham Manufacturing, Liberty Pumps and Oxbo expanding and brand new Edwards Vacuum at STAMP is going to be coming online at the end of this year with over 280 jobs to start and ramp into 600 jobs, and their number one criteria for a job is CNC technicians. So there's an abundance of opportunities for kids to get into this track, into this career pathway.”
Why is this an important topic for the general community? “Well, I think the important part of it is, this machine, in particular, is really close to what students would find out in the industry. So it's exposure to equipment that they could, right out of high school, they could go out and find a job, and already have had experience on this type of equipment in here,” Voorhees said. “It helps us do all kinds of different projects that normally we accomplish, but we use a lot of different hand tools, and there's a fair amount of error when you're dealing with hand tools and human error. So this really eliminates it. They draw it in a program called V carve Pro, and then they just send the program over to the CNC, and then it does all of the work exactly how they drew it.
“I think this is an opportunity to really prepare students for opportunities out in the workforce. It also provides our students in this class … principles of engineering,” he said. “So these are students that are interested in pursuing fields for further education and engineering, so that they could go to college to be an engineer and have real hands-on experience, and not just classroom experience.”
Suozzi added that students are coming out of high school if they’ve attended a BOCES trades program, making more than $60,000 a year, and after a company’s apprenticeship, can be making $80,000 in their fourth year, plus having skills for jobs that are in demand. Amada Tools is another of those local companies, and it helped to set up the CNC machine and often has jobs available, he said.
“I always say workforce development is a team sport,” he said. “So we all are in it to win it but we all help each other to see these kids flourish and have great careers here locally in Genesee County.”
Photos by Howard Owens
Tools of the trade.
BHS sophomores Gunner Pietrzykowski and Lawrence Chen watch as the CNC machine slowly cuts out a design that they created by computer and then input to the machine. Photo by Howard Owens
The students show a final sumo robot that they designed and crafted with the help of the CNC machine. Photo by Howard Owens
Plug Power, the green hydrogen manufacturing firm based in Lathan, with a plant under construction in the town of Alabama, has closed on a $1.66 billion loan guarantee with the U.S. Department of Energy.
The loan guarantee has been under negotiations for months and closes just days before President Joe Biden leaves office.
“Finalizing this loan guarantee with the Department of Energy represents a significant step in expanding our domestic manufacturing and hydrogen production capabilities, which create many high-quality jobs throughout the U.S.,” said Plug CEO Andy Marsh in a release. “In addition to reducing carbon emissions and enhancing the resilience of the U.S. energy grid, we believe the hydrogen economy aligns closely with national security interests, ensuring that the U.S. remains at the forefront of energy technology development and deployment on a global scale.”
Based on prior reporting, it's unclear if Plug intends to use a portion of the loan funds to complete its $290 million green hydrogen fuel plant under construction in WNY STAMP.
Chris Suozzi, VP for business and workforce development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center, reportedly told a Washington, D.C.-based commercial real estate firm that Plug Power's STAMP project is on hold.
However, throughout the negotiations process, Plug Power has publicly maintained that it intends to use the fund to complete six plants, which has previously included the local plant.
The loan guarantee will help finance the construction of up to six projects to produce and liquify zero- or low-carbon hydrogen at scale throughout the United States. Plug’s Graham, Texas, green hydrogen plant, the first to benefit from this financing, will create hundreds of high-quality jobs. Powered by an adjacent wind farm, Plug’s green hydrogen production plant will utilize the company’s electrolyzer stacks manufactured at its factory in Rochester, N.Y., and its liquefaction and storage systems built at its facility in Houston.
The company already has operational plants in Georgia, Charleston, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
The loan is for $1.55 billion in principal, and Plug is expected to pay $107 million in interest.
Advancing clean hydrogen is a key component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to building a robust clean energy economy that creates healthier communities, strengthens energy security, and delivers new economic opportunities across the nation. Today’s announcement will help unlock the full potential of this versatile fuel and support the growth of a strong, American-led industry that ensures the United States remains at the forefront of the global economy for generations to come. Plug submitted its application to LPO in November 2020.
The release states the Plug is positioned to build out clean hydrogen facilities in several potential locations and to supply its national customer base with end-to-end clean hydrogen at scale.
This project advances President Biden’s efforts to strengthen domestic clean energy supply chains, which are essential to meeting the nation’s ambitious climate goals and enhancing our national and energy security.
The DOE expects that hydrogen from the plants will fuel cell-electric vehicles in material handling, transportation, and industry, which could result in an 84 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional hydrogen production.
The clean hydrogen facilities will utilize Plug’s electrolyzer stacks that are manufactured at the company’s state-of-the-art gigafactory in Rochester, NY and will use modular designs to ensure a resilient hydrogen fuel delivery network. Plug is among the leading commercial-scale manufacturers of electrolyzers in the United States and currently operates the largest Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system in the United States at its Georgia hydrogen plant.
The DOE explains the process:
Electrolyzers use electricity to split water into its component parts, hydrogen and oxygen. Plug’s PEM technology allows it to operate efficiently even with variable electricity, enabling it to leverage electricity from intermittent renewables. Electrolyzers that use renewables to power their hydrogen production produce emissions-free clean hydrogen. The electrolyzer stacks can be easily configured to produce systems at 1 megawatt (MW), 5 MW, and 10 MW scales. (One MW powers the equivalent of 750 American homes based on their instantaneous demand.)
Wall Street's reaction to the news of the loan? A 7% drop in the stock price, bringing it down to $2.44 a share by the close on Friday.
In its 28-year history, Plug has never turned a profit. The company has reported reported $1.4 billion in losses. It also has $930 million in debt already on its books.
Schumer explained this would lock in the federal funding Edwards Vacuum needs for plans to build its new $300+ million dry pump manufacturing facility for the semiconductor industry, the first of its kind in the country, as there is currently no domestic production of semiconductor-grade dry vacuum pumps.
“Edwards Vacuum’s $18 million CHIPS award is locked in. This finalized federal investment will help ensure NY’s semiconductor supply chain is made right here in Genesee County,” said Senator Schumer. “The signed CHIPS award is a major step forward for this $300 million, 600 job project that will be a pivotal stop on America’s semiconductor superhighway. All the major semiconductor companies in New York and across America need this vacuum technology for their chip fabs, that only Edwards will make in the USA.It is a prime example of why our region is growing as the nation’s semiconductor ‘Tech Hub.’ With the funding from my bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law now signed and sealed, Edwards Vacuum’s growth in Western NY can continue knowing the funding will be secured for them to tap no matter the administration. This is a win-win-win: for Genesee County, for Upstate NY, and America.”
This federal funding will support a planned $300+ million investment and 600 good-paying jobs when the facility reaches full production capacity. Schumer explained all chip fabs need vacuum technology, such as that produced by Edwards, to power the sophisticated equipment and state-of-the-art machine tools needed to make microchips. Those tools use vacuum pumps, like those that will now be made in Western New York, to manipulate the chip wafers and control industrial gasses needed to manufacture the finished microchips. By bringing manufacturing to New York, new chip fabs such as Micron and GlobalFoundries in New York and Intel in Ohio can have access to critical dry pumps that will now be made in the U.S., offering chip producers shorter wait times, improved responsiveness, lower risks of supply chain disruptions, and reduced CO2 emissions from an American-made product.
The U.S. Department of Commerce will disburse funds in the coming years as Edwards Vacuum meets project milestones agreed to in the final award.
Schumer also helped the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region win the prestigious Tech Hub designation to support the buildout of the semiconductor supply chain in Upstate NY through his bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law and last year secured a major $40 million investment to implement the Tech Hub’s work with companies like Edwards. The proposal, called the “NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub” has built on the historic investments Schumer delivered that have spurred a boom in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation across Upstate NY. Edwards Vacuum is working with Genesee Community College and Tech Hub partners like Monroe Community College, Erie Community College, and the Northland Workforce Training Center to help them hire and train hundreds of new workers.
“The Empire State is becoming a national leader in advanced manufacturing because of the investments New York has made in this industry and the extraordinary help of President Biden. New York State has the talent, infrastructure and innovation to continue on this trajectory and the best is yet to come. My 2025 State of the State includes new initiatives to grow this critical industry, and we’ll continue doing everything in our power to great jobs and boost economic growth,” said Governor Kathy Hochul.
Along with outstanding attendance at local workforce programs, our Buffalo Bills are heading back to the playoffs and the Pro Bowl voters agree with me that Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the NFL.
Similar to our workforce programs, the Buffalo Bills prioritize player development, recognizing that individual growth is key to program success. In preparing the next generation of workforce candidates, we are also strengthening our communities.
Chris Suozzi
Last year, we welcomed over 4,300 students to workforce development programs including GLOW With Your Hands Manufacturing and Healthcare, Tech Wars, youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, and other programs that have introduced careers and skills available to our local youth.
As a result of these programs and instruction, thousands of our students are now well-informed and educated about the opportunities available to them as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.
By engaging in hands-on training and real-world experiences, these students gained valuable skills and information that make them work-ready and prepared for the high-demand careers in Genesee County and across our region.
If you were one of our 4,300 active students, I want you to celebrate - and then get back to what makes you the next successful professional to graduate from these programs.
For parents, whether your student participated in these programs or not, I encourage you to make it your New Year’s resolution to get involved. Keep your child engaged in programs they are participating in. Let them know there are programs and alternative career paths that do not require a four-year college degree.
Our New Year’s Resolutions are meant to push us out of our comfort zones. Attending a workforce development event may feel like it is, but I can promise you that you will feel welcome and learn something new outside of the traditional classroom.
Our partners offer programs for every type of student, regardless of how far along you’ve gone in your workforce journey; from introductory programs like GLOW With Your Hands to apprenticeship pathways that put you on a fast track to a local career through Genesee Valley BOCES.
If you’re interested, there’s still time to enroll in one of our workforce development programs, which successfully link students to in-demand careers right out of school. Our previous graduates are now on track to make $1 million in their first 12 years after graduation!
Our current BOCES students will soon be enrolled in the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship. They eagerly waiting to learn which companies they will be matched up with for junior year job shadows or senior year co-ops.
In an NFL draft-style format, students will be featured as first-round draft picks celebrating with their companies as they embark on a professional career entering the ranks as a top prospect.
This year’s signing day will be held at Genesee Community College on January 30. The good news is there is still time to sign up for additional opportunities, even if you aren’t enrolled at BOCES! We can put you on a fast track with a local company in a career that allows you to grow and immediate placement after graduation, starting your career debt-free and workforce ready.
To learn more or sign up for the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program or any other local workforce opportunities, contact me at 585-343-4866 or csuozzi@gcedc.com or www.gcedc.com/careerchecklist.
Go Bills!
Chris Suozzi is the Vice President of Business &Workforce Development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
Two projects in the City of Batavia submitted to the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) are projected to generate over $7 million in local benefits.
The GCEDC board of directors will consider initial resolutions for Graham Corporation’s expansion project and 202 Oak St, LLC’s hotel renovation at its January 16 meeting.
Graham Corporation is proposing to construct a new radiographic testing building at their manufacturing facility. The $3.3 million investment will add to an existing manufacturing building.
Graham Corporation is requesting a sales tax exemption estimated at $120,000 and a property tax abatement estimated at $20,934 based on the incremental increase in assessed value generated by the expansion. The project is estimated to generate $1.2 million in local fiscal impacts, including payroll and tax revenues, for an estimated $16 local benefit for every $1 of requested incentives.
202 Oak St, LLC is proposing to renovate the former Super 8 hotel’s 54 units. The $2.5 million investment would create 11.5 new full-time equivalent positions.
202 Oak St, LLC is requesting a sales tax exemption estimated at $104,163, a property tax abatement estimated at $257,823 based on the incremental increase in assessed value generated by the project, and a mortgage tax exemption estimated at $19,000. The project is estimated to generate $5.8 million in local fiscal impacts, including payroll and tax revenues, for an estimated $20 local benefit for every $1 of requested incentives.
In addition, the project is estimated to generate over $40,000 annually in bed tax revenue for the county once the renovated hotel is ramped up.
The GCEDC board meeting will be on Thursday, January 16 at 4 p.m. at the MedTech Center’s Innovation Zone, 99 MedTech Drive, Batavia.
Meeting materials and links to a live stream/on-demand recording of the meeting are available at www.gcedc.com.
Continuing the organization’s work to grow the economy, workforce, and communities of Genesee County, the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) supported 13 projects in 2024.
These projects spread across Genesee County’s business parks and other sites are estimated to produce an economic impact of $202 million. These include new municipal revenues and salaries for careers generated by over $1 billion of investment.
“The GCEDC is pleased to support the growth of our economy, workforce, and the tax base of Genesee County through projects that increase our manufacturing sector, renewable energy generation, and housing,” said Mark Masse, GCEDC President and CEO. “These investments have a significant impact that will grow over the next decade and beyond.”
In 2024, projects supported by the GCEDC pledged the creation of 96 new full-time equivalent positions and the retention of 513 positions.
In the town of Bergen, GE Bergen Owner, LLC’s $42.4 million project includes a new headquarters and manufacturing facility for Oxbo. The agricultural equipment manufacturer will increase their workforce to 200. The facility broke ground in September.
In the city of Batavia, Graham Corporation’s $17.59 million project includes a 28,867-square-foot expansion. The heat transfer equipment manufacturer will increase their workforce to 391. The facility broke ground in August.
The GCEDC supported market-rate housing developments in the towns of Batavia and Pembroke, with MedTech Landing, LLC building 80 units and Countryside Apartments building 96 units.
The GCEDC’s 2024 projects plan to build or renovate over 445,000 square feet of facilities, including Rochester Davis-Fetch's 32,500 square-foot renovation of a village of Le Roy facility and Craft Cannery's 4,000 square-foot expansion in the town of Bergen.
Six solar energy developments in the towns of Batavia, Byron, Elba, LeRoy, Oakfield, and Pavilion will generate 524.275 megawatts of electricity.
“This kind of success cannot happen without the support of the Genesee County Legislature, all our local municipalities, and the companies who are willing to invest capital in our community and create jobs,” said Masse. “We also must recognize the number of hours that the GCEDC Board members have invested in reviewing the details for all these projects. Their knowledge, guidance, and support have been invaluable to our success.”
In total, projects supported by the GCEDC in 2024 will generate a $16 benefit to the local community for every $1 of local incentives.
Expansion projects by companies in Bergen and LeRoy submitted to the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) are projected to generate over $4 million in local benefits.
The GCEDC board of directors will consider an initial resolution for Appletree Acres, LLC in the town of Bergen and a final resolution for 9 Lent Avenue, LLC (Rochester Davis Fetch Corp.) in the town of LeRoy at its December 18 meeting.
Appletree Acres, LLC is proposing to add a 15,000 square-foot expansion to an existing 50,000 square-foot warehouse in the Apple Tree Acres corporate park. The $1.015 million investment would create four full-time equivalent positions with an estimated annual salary range between $45,000 and $65,000 plus benefits.
Appletree Acres, LLC is requesting a sales tax exemption estimated at $48,160 and a property tax abatement estimated at $142,785 based on the incremental increase in assessed value generated by the expansion. The project is estimated to generate $2.99 million in local fiscal impacts, including payroll and tax revenues, for an estimated $19 local benefit for every $1 of requested incentives.
The GCEDC Board of Directors also will consider a final resolution for 9 Lent Avenue, LLC for a proposed 8,000 square-foot light manufacturing and storage facility in the village of LeRoy. The proposed $265,000 project is in addition to an active $3.8 million project renovating a separate facility on the property. The expansion would create two additional full-time equivalent positions with an estimated annual salary range between $62,000 and $72,000 plus benefits.
9 Lent Avenue, LLC is requesting a sales tax exemption estimated at $13,200 and a property tax abatement estimated at $86,016 based on the incremental increase in assessed value generated by the expansion. The project is estimated to generate $1.49 million in local fiscal impacts, including payroll and tax revenues, for an estimated $17 local benefit for every $1 of requested incentives.
The GCEDC board meeting will be Wednesday, December 18 at 4 p.m. at the MedTech Center’s Innovation Zone, 99 MedTech Drive, Batavia.
Meeting materials and links to a live stream/on-demand recording of the meeting are available at www.gcedc.com.
Sustained success for any team comes from a culture of buy-in and commitment from executives, personnel, staff, and players. When values, visions, and goals align internally, performance on the field improves to create a winning culture.
We witnessed this buy-in from the Buffalo Bills when general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott stepped in and completely shifted the Bills from an organization comfortable with losing into a franchise that continues to produce winning records, all-pros, and productive draft classes.
My goal is to rally our families, schools, businesses, and workforce communities in order for us to create a better future for our youth.
Our workforce advocates have created a culture that is leading our local students to careers that will set them up for lifetime success. We are adding another piece of the puzzle to create the community buy-in we aim for.
With the official announcement of ACT Work Ready Communities coming to Genesee County, we are deploying another resource to connect our students to local in-demand careers.
ACT Work Ready Communities provides the tools to connect our graduates to the in-demand career opportunities available in their backyards, aligning the region’s economic development needs with the skills required to create an economic blueprint that benefits our local businesses and our communities.
I’m excited that many of our schools are engaging to have select groups of students complete the ACT WorkKey Assessments in 2025. These students will graduate into a winning culture our businesses are already growing.
To be designated a Work Ready Community requires participation from our local workforce and businesses. Once registered, there will be access to search and vet job requirements and skills sought by local businesses, allowing them to efficiently recruit from a pool of qualified candidates.
We only need three more companies to sign up to reach our goal of 92 supporting businesses and 11 more will get Genesee County to 100 certified businesses!
The list of certified businesses ranges from companies in manufacturing, food processing, healthcare, education, professional services, hospitality, and more.
Like Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane, our winning culture doesn’t stop with one goal achieved. In order for us to receive certified work ready status we will need the participation of our local workforce candidates; there are no limitations on who can sign up for the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) administered by ACT.
Students, incumbent workers, and job seekers can complete the NCRC which features criteria in applied math, graphic literacy, and workplace documents.
Once completed, prospective job candidates will be recommended and matched with companies that align with their skills based on NCRC results.
Companies looking to relocate or expand value this accreditation and provide them with workforce information and data, bringing more jobs to Genesee County.
I am pleased by the progress we’ve had in working with school representatives, workforce institutions, and other stakeholders to recruit workforce candidates and local companies to be a part of the workforce development ecosystem that will allow our community to continue its sustained success.
To learn more or sign up for a National Career Readiness Certificate contact me at 585-343-4866 or csuozzi@gcedc.com.
Chris Suozzi is the Executive Vice President, Business & Workforce Development of the Genesee County Economic Development Center
I don’t plan to become an NFL scout, but I would’ve helped plenty of teams in 2018.
I was an early supporter of Josh Allen. I’m thankful every season that the Bills saw what I did - an outstanding athlete and leader.
Why did he stand out?
It started, for me, with the story of Josh staying true to his dreams after getting zero college scholarship offers after high school.
I was impressed by his now-famous letter sent to every single head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in the country. And I was won over by how he performed after getting his hands on the ball for the only college that offered him an opportunity.
Facing adversity, Josh had to perform. He had to make incredible downfield throws, bulldoze linebackers on the run, and lead his teammates. He also had to put himself out there to coaches that had never heard of him.
That’s a lesson I want every student to take to heart.
It’s why I’m so passionate about programs that put students into hands-on experiences.
I see what students gain from taking the controls of an excavator, grabbing a hammer and driving a nail, or inputting control panel instruction at GLOW With Your Hands, how they grow in youth apprenticeships at Genesee Valley BOCES, and putting all that together during the Genesee Valley Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
Showing what you can do, for the people that need to see it, is how you succeed. They’ll take notice.
But if you haven’t gotten those opportunities, be like Josh. Find a way to win!
When I’m speaking to students as the GCEDC’s career coach, or guiding a recent graduate through our Career Checklist, there are plenty of ways to win.
One requires only a few clicks - joining LinkedIn.
Asking teens to get on social media isn’t a challenge, but I’m amazed by the way some students are getting ahead of their peers on LinkedIn, a business and employment-focused social media platform designed to connect you with peers and professionals in your network.
By showing every certification gained, accomplishments made, and programs participated in, they have a live resume that keeps putting them in front of the right people. They show they’re professional and able to engage positively, and that their skills are growing.
These are all things that every student does whenever they participate in a sport, a part-time job, a special class or training program, or as a volunteer.
As parents, teachers, coaches, and leaders, we all see it.
But so many more people can too!
And the benefit of putting your story on a professional network is that as your career grows, those past experiences, the skills, and classes you took, may become your most valuable asset down the road.
Maybe the connection that makes your career is someone who worked in the same restaurant you did.
Maybe it’s a GLOW With Your Hands vendor that remembers the interest you showed in their exhibit. But it may not happen if you aren’t involved.
Finally, there’s nothing wrong with posting about your passions. As I share the good news about Genesee County, our business growth, and our workforce programs on LinkedIn, there’s something that always gets the most activity on LinkedIn, talking about Josh Allen.
Let’s get started! I’m happy to meet with parents and young people looking for guidance during and after high school. Call me at 585-409-1301 or connect with me at csuozzi@gcedc.com. But if you really want to stand out, find me on LinkedIn. And Go Bills!
Chris Suozzi is the Vice President of Business &Workforce Development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
Is Lathan-based Plug Power pulling the plug on its $290 million green hydrogen fuel plant under construction at WNY STAMP?
Heatmap, a news organization that tracks alternative energy companies, reports that the STAMP site is not included in Plug Power's loan application with the Department of Energy.
Plug Power has preliminary approval for a $1.6 billion loan from the DOE to help it build more fuel plants. The company is aiming to become the nation's first vertically integrated green hydrogen producer, providing customers with fuel, products, and support.
Chris Suozzi, VP for business and workforce development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center, reportedly told a Washington, D.C.-based commercial real estate firm that Plug Power's STAMP project is on hold.
Asked to authenticate the quote, Suozzi said, "no comment."
According to Heatmap, Suozzi spoke to PRP Real Estate Management. The firm recorded the phone call.
“They’re not ready to go," Suozzi reportedly said. "They’re on pause. We don’t know what’s going to happen with them at this point.”
Plug Power has not responded to The Batavian with requests for comment, including a spokesperson The Batavian has communicated with before, who didn't respond to an email sent early Friday morning.
The Batavian also reached out to two people in Sen. Charles Schumer's office seeking comment. Schumer has been a major proponent of STAMP and a supporter of Plug Power's initiative. The Batavian has not received a response.
The story published two days ago indicates a lawsuit filed by the Tonawanda Seneca Nation may be influencing Plug Power's actions.
Environmental justice issues have also been a drag on development. The native Tonawanda Seneca Nation is opposed to the entire industrial park because of the resulting impacts on wildlife, noise and the visual landscape. In April, the Fish and Wildlife Service revoked a necessary permit for a wastewater treatment pipeline that would be used by companies at the park.
Earthjustice attorney Alex Page – who is working with the Nation to fight the project – told me the tribe was told last year by the Energy Department that Plug Power had withdrawn the New York site from its loan application. The Nation will continue to fight the project and DOE’s loan financing to Plug Power on the chance that money could be reprogrammed to the industrial park. Page said: “The Nation remains very, very much opposed.”
When Plug Power received its preliminary loan approval in May, The Batavian published this explainer about the project:
Plug Power is a New York-based company with headquarters in Lathan. It is a "green hydrogen" company, which means it uses renewable energy sources to convert water into hydrogen fuel, which can be stored in fuel tanks and sold to power vehicles and factory equipment.
In its 20-year history, Plug Power has never turned a profit. It's annual revenue is currently about $800 million. In 2023, the company reported a $1.4 billion loss.
Plug Power is building a $290 million hydrogen energy plant in WNY STAMP, the GCEDC-developed high-tech business park in Alabama. The plant is expected to employ 69 people with an average annual salary of more than $70,000. In exchange for the job creation, the company is anticipating $2 million in grants from New York State.
The company received $118.2 million in sales and property tax exemptions from the Genesee County Economic Development Center. Over the 20-year life of the property tax extensions, Plug Power will make payments in lieu of taxes totaling $2.3 million annually, which will be shared by Genesee County, the Town of Alabama, and the Oakfield-Alabama School District. Each jurisdiction will also receive an increasing amount of property tax payments each year over the life of the agreement.
In March, the DOE awarded Plug Power grants totaling $75.7 million.
The DOE loan, if finalized, is expected to help Plug Power complete the WNY STAMP plant, along with five others in the nation, which is reportedly critical to the company generating the hydrogen fuel sales necessary to start achieving profits.
This phase of the loan guarantee process requires the DOE and Plug Power to negotiate a term sheet, which means "certain technical, legal, environmental and financial conditions, including negotiation of definitive financing documents, must be satisfied before funding of the loan guarantee" (company statement).
Having a winning gameplan starts with knowing your strengths and quickly understanding what is going to work on the field. I think we’ve seen that with the start of the Bills season – when the gameplan works, we’re winning comfortably against Jacksonville and Miami. When it doesn’t we’re losing to Baltimore and Houston.
I’m impressed by how scripting the first 15 plays of the game to test out a gameplan has continued for decades. And I see this “game script” as a best practice that we’ve brought to so many students in the GLOW Region.
Our students and businesses don’t need to gameplan every single play because they realize the benefits of a short game script executed so well at GLOW With Your Hands.
The GLOW With Your Hands: Manufacturing and Healthcare events give students a clear direction on the careers they’ve love at companies right in our backyard. Since 2019, we have welcomed over 5,000 students at the Genesee County Fairgrounds in the fall and Genesee Community College in the spring.
Parents of our GLOW With Your Hands participants, your kids have been incredible! They have a lot of fun at these events, but they also have taken these hands-on experiences and opportunities to talk with employers and professionals seriously. Companies growing in the GLOW Region have told us it’s the quality of this generation of future leaders that gives them confidence to expand their workforces.
And Parents, there are good-paying jobs ready for your kids.
Careers without college debt or minimal debt like new tech/skilled trades programs at GCC.
Opportunities to succeed and advance.
And we have a gameplan that you can be a part of!
Whether your student attended GLOW With Your Hands this year or not, I want to invite you to the next step we recommend to every student at the event – start exploring a career in a great training program.
Genesee Valley BOCES is hosting open houses for prospective students at their Batavia and Mt. Morris campuses in the coming weeks. BOCES programs in Mechatronics, CNC machining, and welding guide students directly into in-demand careers, apprenticeships and no-debt paths to earning up to $60k + a year to earning at total of $1 million in their first 12 years of employment.
I want to see you at the Batavia campus for an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23, or with our peers in Mt. Morris from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 24.
Discover pathways for your child outside a traditional high school classroom. Interact with instructors and staff from great programs like the three I’ve recommended.
Our region has adapted to the workforce development-focused blueprint we have implemented in Genesee County and our region.
Our students need to take advantage of these opportunities, and I am here to assist them take along the way. We just need to stick to the gameplan!
Visit www.gcedc.com/careerchecklist to access our free career checklist, featuring eight essential steps to jumpstart your professional journey.
If you are a student, parent, teacher, or guidance counselor contact me at csuozzi@gcedc.com to learn how to get involved today!
Chris “Coach SwazZ” Suozzi is the Executive Vice President of Business & Workforce Development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
“Almost 20 years ago, the Genesee County Economic Development Center developed a concept to bring the next generation of emerging businesses to Genesee County. This led to the development of the Science Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) in the town of Alabama.
“Through the years, STAMP has been fortunate to receive significant financial support from our federal, state and local government partners which has been contingent on our commitment to bringing these next generation of businesses and the significant number of good paying jobs and economic impact that come with them. This support has also resulted in hundreds of inquiries from companies and site selectors in the United States and internationally. This strong interest in STAMP continues today.
“As such, the GCEDC Board and staff remain resolute in our vision to bring these jobs and capital investment from companies in the advanced manufacturing, renewable energy and semiconductor sectors. We also need to be mindful of continuing to build out infrastructure at the site, including the electric substation, which is a critical aspect of bringing these companies to STAMP.
“Regarding the latter, two projects not in targeted industry sectors have approached the GCEDC with an interest in coming to STAMP. At this time, the GCEDC Board and staff is considering applications from these applicants, both of which are proposing to construct data centers at STAMP.
“In assessing projects such as data centers, the GCEDC considers several different factors, including assessing the number of good-paying jobs in the local community created, the footprint of this type of project and its electric and water needs with the intent of minimizing its impacts so we can further our continued efforts in bringing to STAMP the types of companies that can create significant job and economic growth that we are targeting for at STAMP. Advanced manufacturing, renewable energy and semiconductor sector projects often require a much larger footprint. They can have significant infrastructure needs that must be considered when evaluating applications for projects such as data centers.
“We are obligated to our government partners and Genesee County residents to carefully vet applications to facilitate local economic growth and development, which fosters investment and job creation to benefit our residents and children.
“In this instance, a decision will ultimately be made on whether the proposed projects fulfill our vision for STAMP. We look forward to working with companies and stakeholders as the GCEDC Board considers these applications.”
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) board of directors approved a final resolution for a project by 9 Lent Avenue, LLC in the village of Le Roy at their meeting on Thursday, October 3.
The proposed $3.8 million project will renovate an existing 32,500 square-foot structure at 9 Lent Avenue and create 4 new jobs.
9 Lent Avenue, LLC has requested assistance valued at $267,725 in property tax abatements and $77,600 in sales tax exemptions, with the project estimated to generate $3,382,738 in fiscal returns based on new employment and new municipal revenue.
More than 30 schools around the GLOW region participated in the 6th annual event. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Students from school districts in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties engage with employers throughout the event, exploring careers that could unveil new opportunities they may not have previously considered.
Over 70 businesses provided hands-on activities and simulations in the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food production, skilled trades sectors as well as the various branches of the military. Students learned about career opportunities in their own backyard that offer good-paying opportunities immediately after high school graduation, as well as accelerated training programs available in the region.
“We have seen GLOW With Your Hands participants grow into successful professionals, and businesses that participate in our manufacturing and healthcare event grow their next generation. Having over 1,000 students and a record number of employers at our event reaffirms that there is a significant need for these connections and a significant benefit created at our events,” added GLOW With Your Hands, Co-Chair Karyn Winters.
Led by Platinum Sponsors LandPro Equipment, National Grid, and newcomer Davis-Fetch, many businesses have participated in every GLOW With Your Hands since 2019, including representatives of the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food and beverage manufacturing, and construction trades.
Davis-Fetch specializes in commercial building construction services focusing on building interior spaces, walls, ceilings, and acoustical wall panels. This is the company’s inaugural GLOW With Your Hands event featuring a hands-on demonstration of installing drywall screws and using a drywall zip tool around electrical boxes. Davis-Fetch used this as an opportunity to engage with the next generation of workforce candidates in the GLOW region.
“Rather than setting up a booth and speaking with students, we were able to interact with the next generation of workforce candidates with a hands-on approach that was educational and informative of our work, " said Davis-Fetch President Frank Kittlinger. “After witnessing the engagement of over a thousand students today, we look forward to being a part of GLOW With Your Hands annually.”
After launching in 2019 with 800 students, GLOW With Your Hands has grown into the premier workforce development program in the region. Including GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare, a hands-on medical careers program held annually in March, more than 5,000 students have participated in GLOW With Your Hands events since 2019.
“Our goal is to provide local youth with family-sustaining career opportunities that lead to fulfilling lifestyles and positively impact local communities,” said GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair Angela Grouse. “By getting hands-on and informational experiences, our students are taking the first step toward that goal.”
Albion High School Senior Joseph Schoberlein said he was not aware of many of the careers present at GLOW With Your Hands before today and came away with an understanding of what opportunities are available to him after graduation this upcoming spring.
“There are a number of jobs you learn about at GLOW With Your Hands that you do not experience in a traditional classroom setting, a lot of these careers do not require a college degree. I can enter the workforce immediately out of high school with a good-paying job without taking the college route,” stated Schoberlien.
