Republicans against Small Government and Market Discipline

This is just an amusing footnote to my post the other day about how my local coal power plant is shut down:

In an effort to keep AES Cayuga open, the bankrupt coal-fired power plant in Lansing, Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette, Seneca County, purposed legislation Tuesday to aid the plant.

AES Cayuga has not produced power since early March because it cannot compete with power plants using lower cost natural gas, AES Cayuga Plant Manager Jerry Goodenough told The Journal last week.

This proposed legislation, titled S.6842, recommends the establishment of a power purchase agreement with the New York State Power Authority. The legislation would ensure that the AES Cayuga plant reopens and remains operational for a minimum of three years.

Under the legislation, energy purchased from the AES Cayuga plant would be directed to supplement the state's ReCharge NY program. The ReCharge NY program allocates low-cost power to New York State employers.

The plant filed for bankruptcy in Dec. 2011 citing persistent adverse conditions in the New York power generation market. The company has sustained losses of tens of millions of dollars since 2010.

Emphasis mine.