ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today announced it would hold a public statement hearing in the Town of Windsor (Broome County) to receive comments on Bluestone Wind, LLC’s (Bluestone Wind) request for a lightened regulatory regime regarding the Commission’s review in Case 19-E-0121.

Bluestone Wind has proposed to construct and operate a commercial-scale wind power project, including the installation and operation of up to 33 wind turbines (29 in the Town of Sanford and 4 in the Town of Windsor), together with associated underground collection lines, access roads, two permanent meteorological towers, and an operation and maintenance building in the Town of Sanford. A collection substation will be located in Sanford at the end of the project’s 34.5-kilovolt collection system and will include a 10-megawatt battery storage system. A second substation will be located at the point of interconnection, adjacent to an existing New York State Electric and Gas transmission line. The two substations will be connected by a 200-foot long span of overhead 115- kilovolt transmission line.

Pursuant to Article 10 of the Public Service Law, on September 18, 2018, Bluestone Wind filed an application with the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CECPN). If the Siting Board issues a CECPN to Bluestone Wind for its project, Bluestone Wind will still be required to obtain, in a separate proceeding, a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the Commission, pursuant to Public Service Law (PSL) §68. Bluestone Wind has petitioned the Commission seeking a CPCN and an Order finding that Bluestone, as a wholesale electric market participant, is entitled to a lightened regulatory regime. Bluestone is also requesting that the Commission consider Bluestone Wind’s petition concurrently with the Siting Board’s currently pending review under PSL Article 10, in order to avoid the delay that would result if the two separate cases were considered consecutively. The Public Statement Hearing will be limited to accepting comments on Bluestone’s petition for a CPCN under PSL §68.

At the public statement hearing, persons wishing to comment on Bluestone Wind’s Section 68 Petition may make a statement on the record at the public statement hearing. It is not necessary to make an appointment in advance, or to present written material in order to speak at the hearing. Any person wishing to provide a public statement must complete a request card. The Examiner will then use the request cards to call each person who has requested an opportunity to provide a statement. The Examiners will continue the hearing for at least one hour, or until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made. A verbatim transcript of the hearing will be made for inclusion in the record of this case.

Persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations should contact the Department of Public Service’s Human Resource Management Office at (518) 474-2520 as soon as possible. TDD users may request a sign language interpreter by placing a call through the New York Relay Service at 711 to reach the Department of Public Service's Human Resource Office. Individuals with difficulty understanding or reading English are encouraged to call 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this notice.

Other Ways to Comment

For those who cannot attend or prefer not to speak at the public statement hearings, there are several other ways to provide your comments to the Siting Board. Comments should refer to “Case 19-E-0121, Bluestone Wind.” Although comments will be accepted throughout the pendency of this proceeding, they are requested by November 15, 2019.

Email or Mail: Comments may also be submitted via Email to Hon. Kathleen H. Burgess, Secretary, at secretary@dps.ny.gov, or by mail or delivery to Secretary Burgess at the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany New York 12223-1350. Your comments should specify that they are intended for Case 19-E-0121 – Bluestone Wind.

Toll-Free Opinion Line: Individuals may choose to submit comments by calling the Department of Public Service’s Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120. This line is set up to receive in-state calls 24-hours a day. Callers leaving comments should reference Case 19-E-0121 – Bluestone Wind Project. Telephonic comments are not transcribed verbatim, but a summary is provided to the Examiners who will report to the Commission.

All written comments will become part of the record and will be reported to the Siting Board for its consideration. All written comments may be accessed on the Department of Public Service website at www.dps.ny.gov. Click the “Search” button on the home page and then enter “19-E-0121” in the space provided for searching by case number; then view the “Public Comments” tab.

Bluestone Wind’s petition to the Commission may be also viewed online at the Department of Public Service website at www.dps.ny.gov. Click the “Search” button on the home page and then enter “19-E-0121” in the space provided for searching by case number.