Taxpayers living in towns across Westchester County are expected to spend more on electricity next year, when a deal with the Indian Point power plant expires.

For the past seven years, municipalities and government entities in the county have been receiving discounts from Indian Point?s parent company, Entergy, under an agreement brokered by the New York Power Authority.

This year, however, as towns like Greenburgh began planning their 2009 budgets, they discovered the contract with Entergy will not be renewed.

"It's going to be hard for us, especially senior citizens, to pay our taxes," says Agnes Mebane, of Greenburgh.

Initially, the Power Authority informed Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner that rates would increase by 41 percent, but after negotiations, the figure was reduced to 34 percent.

Feiner says he is disappointed the Power Authority is not making efforts to close another contract or find cheaper electric rates elsewhere.

"We're going to be waging a very, very aggressive effort to reduce our energy consumption," he says.

Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi tells News 12 Westchester the company sells the electricity to the Power Authority, and that what happens after that is up to the communities and NYPA. A spokesperson for the Power Authority was not immediately available for comment.