NEW YORK CITY, NY — Joseph Percoco, a former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was sentenced in federal court on September 20 to six years in prison on corruption charges. According to a press release from Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Percoco was sentenced for soliciting $315,000 in bribes from Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) and a real estate developer in Syracuse in exchange for official acts while he was Cuomo’s executive deputy secretary.

The release says state action was “critical” to CPV’s success. It says, “Starting as early as 2010, CPV provided personal benefits to Percoco, including expensive meals and a Hamptons fishing trip, in an effort to cultivate access to Percoco. In response to CPV’s requests for official state assistance, Percoco, who was experiencing financial difficulties at the time, requested that CPV hire his then-unemployed wife. In or around the end of 2012, CPV executive Peter Galbraith Kelly Jr. created a position for Percoco’s wife that paid approximately $90,000 per year while requiring Percoco’s wife to do little work. In exchange for these payments, Percoco agreed to use his official position and influence, and did in fact use his official position and influence, to help CPV with specific state matters as the opportunities arose.”

The CPV power plant in Orange County will likely begin operations soon, and when it does, it will be fueled by natural gas flowing through the compressor station in Eldred. Percoco’s conviction in March prompted a number of politicians to call for CPV’s permits to be rescinded.

Among those speaking out against the 6550 megawatt power plant were Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, Assemblyman James Skoufis and Orange County Executive Steve Neuhause, as well as several environmental organizations.

For years, critics have charged that without corruption, the plant could never have received the necessary permits because of all of the negative impacts to human health and the environment that they say the plant will produce. Also, they charge that the plant goes against Cuomo’s stated goals and policies regarding energy and the environment.

Pramilla Malick, the chair of Protect Orange County, said in a statement on her Facebook page,  “This project should never have been approved in the first place. It was never consistent with our environmental, public health, and climate change regulations. It was never in the public interest.”

On August 1, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) denied the renewal of an air quality permit for the plant, saying the plant must apply for a Title V Clean Air Act permit, which is a more complicated process, and includes a review of at least 45 days by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Two public hearings on the air quality permit are scheduled to be held on September 26 at the Orange County Emergency Center in Goshen.