Hess Fights N.Y. Gov's Gas Station Generator Plan

NEW YORK -- Hess Corp. is actively working to oppose N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to require gas stations to install backup generators that would keep the power on and the fuel flowing after weather disasters like Superstorm Sandy, according to the New York Daily News. The company reportedly boosted its lobbying efforts to quash the requirement as legislators worked to finalize state budget proposals last week.

Under Cuomo's proposal, gas stations located within a half-mile of a coastal evacuation effort or highway exit would be required to have generator capacity, and companies that own 10 or more stations within a region would have to have one generator on hand for every two locations. Cuomo also proposed offering station owners $10,000 grants, but opponents of the measure state that the grants would not offset the total cost of adding generators. Gas station owners from upstate New York especially have voiced their disapproval of the plan.

One state official claimed that Hess wants to block the requirement because it could establish a monopoly, as it was one of the few gas station operators to remain open during the post-Sandy gas shortage. However, a source close to the opposing retailers told the Daily News that Hess' opposition stems purely from the high cost of adding generators.

Neither Hess nor its Albany lobbyist could be reached for comment, according to the report.

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