Honorable George E. Pataki
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Pataki:

I am a POSITION at the INSTITUTION, and one of 2,500 researchers who use the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), a world-class research facility located at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The NSLS produces an entire spectrum of extremely bright light-from infrared through ultraviolet light and x-rays-to examine the minute details of computer chips, decipher the structure of viruses, probe the density of bone and countless other mysteries of science. As one example of the power of the NSLS, in 2003, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Professor Roderick MacKinnon, from Rockefeller University in New York City, for work performed in part at the NSLS.

As one might imagine, it takes enormous amounts of energy to operate a facility with the power and sophistication of NSLS. Since 1981, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) has supplied BNL with low-cost electric power, but the current BNL-NYPA contract expires on June 30, 2005. Brookhaven currently pays $0.052 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for electrical power. In contrast, other DOE laboratories that compete directly with Brookhaven for funding and jobs are able to purchase power at significantly lower rates. If the Laboratory's rates increase to $0.085/ kWh as currently estimated by NYPA, the cost of electricity required to run the NSLS will increase from $1.9 million to $3 million. If the current LIPA market rates of $0.110/kWh are applied, the costs of electricity to operate the machine will go up as high as $4 million. This increased cost would have a number of serious negative effects on the NSLS, requiring substantial staff cuts and otherwise diminishing their ability to support users and maintain high operational reliability. Furthermore, Brookhaven Laboratory is competing for $500M in federal funding to construct and operate an upgrade of the NSLS, called NSLS-II. If these rate increases are applied, it will add another $2-4 million to the annual projected operating costs of this new facility, making the Lab's proposal less attractive and less competitive.

I have several different research programs for which the NSLS is absolutely crucial. YOUR MOST IMPORTANT NSLS-RELATED PROGRAMS HERE.

Due to federal budgeting procedures, it is crucial that BNL finalize its power rates by the end of August, 2004. This issue is critical to me as a scientist, to this important federal lab, to all of the scientists who use the NSLS, ad especially to the future of cutting-edge scientific research in New York State.

New York State can justifiably take pride in having assumed a leadership role in promoting the high-tech and basic scientific research programs that are vital to this state's economic future. I respectfully urge that your administration do all within its power to devise a suitable solution to this pressing problem.

Sincerely,


YOUR NAME AND TITLE