Virtual Public Statement Hearing To Be Held Regarding Champlain Hudson Transmission Line Siting

ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold a virtual public statement hearing on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, to receive public comments on a petition filed by CHPE LLC to amend a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need authorizing the building, operation, and maintenance of the Champlain Hudson Power Express. The project is a high voltage, direct current (HVDC) transmission line extending approximately 330 miles from the New York/Canada border to a converter station in Astoria, Queens.

The certificate was granted in this proceeding by an order of the Commission issued on April 18, 2013. The Commission granted amendments to the certificate on March 20, 2020, August 13, 2020, September 21, 2020, and January 26, 2021, authorizing changes regarding project construction filings and filing requirements, and approving route modifications.

In a petition filed January 29, 2021, the certificate holders request that the certificate be amended to authorize an increase in the nameplate capacity of the project from 1,000 megawatts (MWs) to 1,250 MWs through the use of a 1,250 MW HVDC system, as well as associated modifications to the project’s transmission components and an increase in the footprint of the Astoria converter station from approximately 4.5 acres to 5.5 acres.

In a supplement to the amendment petition, the certificate holders also request that the Commission clarify the meaning of certificate condition 22(a), which states, in relevant part, that finished grade shall be the grade at the elevation of the 100-year floodplain. The certificate holders assert that New York City has adopted requirements that would result in the finished grade at the proposed site of the converter station being set at the elevation of the 500-year floodplain. They request that the Commission clarify that certificate condition 22(a) sets the minimum elevation for finished grade based on local requirements existing at the time of construction and that an amendment is not required.

The amendment petition and supplement may be reviewed online at the Department of Public Service web page, www.dps.ny.gov, by searching under Case 10-T-0139. The Commission will consider the Certificate Holders' requests and may adopt or reject them, in whole or in part.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a virtual public statement hearing will be held before ALJ James A. Costello, as follows:

DATE: Wednesday, April 21, 2021

TIME: 6:00 P.M.

Electronic Access: www.webex.com

Event Number: 129 242 8687

Password: April 21-6pm

Phone-Only Access: (518) 549-0500

Access Code: 129 242 8687

Those wishing to comment on the amendment petition will have the opportunity to make a statement on the record at the public statement hearing. Any person wishing to provide a public statement at the hearing must pre-register electronically or by telephone by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, 2021.

To register electronically: Participants who will login electronically to the hearing may register to do so by visiting www.webex.com by the date indicated above, clicking “Join” at the top right-hand corner of the screen, inputting the appropriate event number listed above, and filling in the requested information.

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

To register by telephone: Any participant who is not able to login to a hearing electronically may participate by phone. Call-in participants wishing to make a statement at the hearing must register to do so by the date indicated above by calling 1-800-342-3330, following the prompts to the appropriate hearing and then providing the following information: first and last name, address, and phone number. On the day and time of the hearing, call-in users should dial 518-549-0500 and enter the appropriate access code, listed above, to join the hearing.

All participants will be muted upon entry into the hearing. The ALJ will call each person who has requested to provide a statement to speak. The ALJ will continue the hearing until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made to include their comments in the record. Reasonable time limits may be set for each speaker as necessary to afford all attendees an opportunity to be heard. It is recommended that lengthy comments be submitted in writing and summarized for oral presentation. A verbatim transcript of the hearing will be made for inclusion in the record of this case.

To listen to the hearing: Any person who would like to listen to the hearing and not make a statement may access the hearing without registering. The hearing will be livestreamed on the internet and available for viewing on the Department of Public Service’s YouTube channel on the date and time listed above. To access the 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 the phone access number, 518-549-0500 and entering the applicable access code identified for the date of the hearing.

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 English are encouraged to call the Department at 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 a public statement hearing, there are several other ways to provide your comments to the Commission. Comments should refer to “Case 10-T-0139 – CHPE.” Although comments will be accepted throughout the pendency of this proceeding, they are requested by April 21, 2021.

Via the Internet or Mail: Please go www.dps.ny.gov, click on “Search,” enter “10-T-0139” in the “Search by Case Number” field, then click on the “Post Comments” button located at the top of the page, and then complete the form to which you are directed; or email your comments to the Secretary to the Commission at secretary@dps.ny.gov.

Alternatively, comments may be mailed to the Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, New York State Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350. 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.

Toll-Free Opinion Line: Individuals may choose to submit comments by calling the Commission’s Opinion Line at 1- 800-335-2120. This line is set up to receive in-state calls 24 hours a day. These calls are not transcribed verbatim, but a summary is provided to the Commission.

###

Back