Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has announced a settlement with RG&E that will require the company to shut down its coal-burning Russell power plant in the town of Greece. 

Under the settlement, RG&E must permanently shut down the Russell power plant following improvements to power lines and substations, which are
expected to be completed in May. If RG&E builds another plant, the settlement requires that this new plant be a state-of-the-art natural gas burning facility. RG&E has already indicated its desire to replace the Russell plant and that it will conform to these requirements. The company has informed the New York Independent System Operator, which manages New York's electricity transmission grid, that it plans to build a new 300-megawatt electricity generating plant at the site.

The settlement also requires RG&E to pay $500,000 to fund energy efficiency and air pollution reduction projects in the Rochester area,
including Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, and Livingston counties.
 
An investigation by the attorney general's office and the DEC found that RG&E had modified the Russell facility and increased air pollution emissions without installing the pollution controls that were required by state and federal clean air laws. After the DEC cited the Russell facility for violations and after initial settlement discussions with RG&E stalled, the attorney general's office notified RG&E of its intention to sue. The settlement ends the attorney
general's legal action.