Paterson to visit Cape Vincent farm Tuesday

Gov. David A. Paterson will visit the Woods Farm, 9065 County Routy 9, Cape Vincent, at 1 p.m. Tuesday to make an "economic recovery announcement."

Mr. Paterson is expected to announce that the New York Power Authority's north country stimulus program is finalized, and it's been expanded to include dairy farmers, according to a source familiar with the event.

The program will give St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Franklin counties' business owners a 10 percent to 15 percent reduction on their energy bills by using an estimated $10 million in unanticipated revenues the authority will receive from the sale of power Alcoa temporarily relinquished when its East plant in Massena was idled.

Utility customers on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation are also expected to receive the discounts. However, businesses that already enjoy low-cost power through municipal electric districts like Massena, Philadelphia and Theresa will not be included in the program.

Investor-owned utilities like National Grid are expected to pass the savings on to their commercial customers through their regular billing process.