Virtual Public Statement Hearing Set for Lewis County Wind Farm

ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) announced that it will hold a virtual public statement hearing on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, related to the petition filed on April 17, 2019, by Number Three Wind Energy, LLC (Number Three Wind) pursuant to Section 68 of the Public Service Law for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and an order providing for lightened regulation for wholesale electric generators with respect to its proposed solar electric generating facility in the Towns of Harrisburg and Lowville, Lewis County. Construction and operation of the project will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need issued by the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) on November 12, 2019, as modified on February 13, 2020. This proceeding will not revisit the environmental compatibility and public need issues previously considered and decided by the Siting Board in that separate proceeding.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a virtual public statement hearing in this proceeding will be held before the assigned Administrative Law Judge, as follows:

DATE: Wednesday, February 17, 2021

TIME: 6:00 P.M.

Electronic Access: www.webex.com

Event Number: 179 034 6526

Password: Feb17-6pm

Phone-Only Access: (518) 549-0500

Access Code: 179 034 6526

Those wishing to comment on any aspect of this proceeding will have the opportunity to make a statement on the record at the virtual public statement hearing. Any person wishing to provide a public statement must pre-register by Tuesday, February 16, 2021.

To register and participate electronically: Participants who want to provide a public statement at the hearing must register to do so by visiting www.webex.com by 5:00 P.M. on February 16, 2021. From the Webex homepage, registrants should click “Join” at the top right-hand corner of the screen, enter the appropriate event number listed above, and provide all requested information.

On the date and at the appropriate time of the hearing, please again visit www.webex.com to log in to the hearing, click “Join” at the top right-hand corner of the screen, and input the appropriate event number and password for the hearing. Participants will be asked to “select audio system.” It is recommended that participants choose “call using computer” or “call me.” The “call me” option will require participants to enter their phone numbers.

To register by phone: Any participant not able to login to a hearing electronically may participate by phone. Call-in participants wishing to provide a statement at the hearing must register to do so by calling 1-800-342-3330 by 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, where they should follow prompts to the appropriate hearing and provide the following information: first and last name, address, and phone number. On the date and at the appropriate time of the hearing, all call-in users should dial (518) 549-0500 and enter the relevant access code listed above.

All participants will be muted upon entry into the hearing. The Administrative Law Judge will call on each person who has registered to make a statement. The public statement hearing will be held open until everyone who has registered to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements to submit comments into the record have been made. Time limits may be set for each speaker, as necessary. It is recommended that lengthy comments be summarized orally during the hearing and then filed with the Secretary. Verbatim transcripts of the statements made during the hearing will be included in the record of this proceeding.

To listen to the hearing: Pre-registration is not required for any person who would like to listen to the hearing without making a statement. The hearing will be livestreamed on the internet and available for viewing on the Department of Public Service YouTube channel on the date and time listed above. To access that YouTube channel, visit the Department’s website, www.dps.ny.gov, and click on the YouTube icon at the bottom of the homepage. In addition, any person without internet access may listen to the hearing by phone by calling (518) 549-0500 and entering the applicable access code.

Persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations should call the Department of Public Service’s Human Resources 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. Individuals with difficulty understanding or reading the English language are encouraged to call the Department at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this Notice.

Other Ways to Comment

Those who prefer not to present comments at the public statement hearing may submit comments in several other ways:

Electronically: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “Search,” enter the case number in the “Search by Case Number” field, and then click on “Post Comments” at the top right of the page; or send comments by email to the Secretary to the Commission at secretary@dps.ny.gov.

By Mail: Those unable to file electronically may mail their comments to the Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350.

Toll-Free Opinion Line: Call the Commission’s Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120. This number is set up to take comments about pending cases from in-State callers, 24-hours a day. These comments are not transcribed verbatim, but a summary is provided to the Commission.

Comments should refer to “Case 19-E-0287.” All written comments will become part of the record considered by the Commission and may be accessed on the Department of Public Service website by searching the case number, as described above, and clicking on the “Public Comments” tab. Although public comments will be accepted throughout the pendency of this case, comments are requested by March 1, 2021.

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