The state Democratic Rural Conference (DRC) Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution in favor of the electric power and generation upgrade proposal known as the “Energy Highway” proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in his recent 2012 budget plan.

The DRC Resolution was also approved by the 15,000 member New York State International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Utility Workers (IBEW).

DRC Issues Committee Chair Dawn Rivers said, “This upgrade will help all upstate electric power producers, including solar, wind and other renewable power projects to deliver electricity to all of New York State by relieving congestion in the transmission bottleneck throughout the state’s power grid and it has the ability to create 17,000 jobs directly and 52,000 jobs indirectly.”

DRC Chair Irene Stein said, “The DRC strongly feels the Energy Highway proposal will create opportunity, spur economic development, attract new jobs to upstate New York, and help provide energy security for all New Yorkers far into the future.”

The Democratic Rural Conference is the rural caucus of the New York State Democratic Party, representing 47 of the 62 counties in the state.