Assemblywoman Paulin Named Energy Committee Chair
New York State Assembly Speaker of the House Sheldon Silver announced that Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-88th District) was named Thursday as the Chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Energy.
Paulin has previously chaired the Committee on Children and Families and the Committee on Libraries. She currently serves as a member of the Committee on Education, the Committee on Higher Education and the Committee on Health. She replaces outgoing Energy Committee chair Assemblyman Kevin Cahill.
“I’m honored that Speaker Silver thought of me to chair this committee,” Paulin said. “I have long been an advocate of developing new energy sources and monitoring the ones that are currently being used. I plan to present energy legislation that will be of benefit to every State resident.
Paulin was the State legislator who filed an amicus brief in federal court that challenged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) exempting Indian Point from crucial fire safety regulations. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Paulin and the nine legislators who joined her in deciding that the NRC failed to follow proper procedures and the public had a right to be heard.
“We were elected to be the voice of the people and the NRC, as it pertained to the issue at Indian Point, tried to avoid letting that voice be heard,” Paulin said. “Rest assured that I and my colleagues, including those who are not members of this committee, will remain ever vigilant in protecting our constituents and their rights while continuing to seek ways to make New York State more energy efficient.”
When Superstorm Sandy devastated the region last fall, Paulin was at the forefront of the effort to get power restored quickly. When Con Edison did not restore power quickly enough to its customers, Paulin remained diligent, fighting for her constituents who were left in the dark. She continues to monitor what Con Edison is doing, making sure that if another storm of that magnitude hits, the infrastructure to deal with the aftermath will be in place.
“The length of time many people in the area were without power was unacceptable,” Paulin said. “We can’t let that happen again.”
