[3] The plant is named after Richard M. Flynn, who had served as a chairman of the New York Power Authority.

[7][8] The plant was the result of a rule change in New York State that required investor-owned utilities to competitively solicit bids on new power generation to lower costs.

In 1990, the Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) requested bids to provide 150 MW of power that would be available by 1994, the second such competition in New York.

[9] The New York Power Authority emerged as the winner in part due to its advance purchase of the natural gas to run the plant.

The NYPA plant was built on LILCO property in Holtsville[11][12] adjacent to an existing gas turbine facility.