Additional Virtual Public Statement Hearing Set Regarding Alle-Catt Wind’s Cattaraugus County Transmission Project

ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold an additional virtual public statement hearing on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, to receive public comments concerning Alle-Catt Wind Energy LLC’s (Alle-Catt) application to construct, own, and operate a transmission line for a 340-megawatt wind electric generating facility in Cattaraugus County.

On February 10, 2021, Alle-Catt filed an application for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need and an associated Water Quality Certificate authorizing the construction, ownership, and operation of a transmission facility interconnecting the planned project to a new point of interconnection (POI) (Limelake Switchyard) that will be built adjacent to the existing Homer City-Stolle Road 345 kilovolt (kV) line owned by New York State Electric and Gas Corporation (NYSEG) and National Grid. The transmission facility will consist of a 10-mile 345 kV transmission line and a new POI switchyard.

The transmission line will connect the project’s collection substation to the new POI switchyard that will be built adjacent to the existing Homer City-Stolle Road 345 kV line owned by NYSEG and National Grid. Except for approximately 500 feet where the transmission facility will be buried under the existing Homer City-Stolle Road line and enters the new POI switchyard, the transmission facility will be an overhead facility. The transmission facility will be located entirely within the towns of Yorkshire and Freedom, in Cattaraugus County.

By order dated June 3, 2020, the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) gave Alle-Catt authority to construct, own, and operate a 340-megawatt wind electric generating facility. In doing so, the Siting Board determined that the project meets all statutory requirements for certification under Article 10 of the Public Service Law (PSL), including a finding that the project will be a beneficial addition to the electric generation capacity of the State.

On April 21, 2021, and March 2, 2022, Alle-Catt supplemented the application. On March 4, 2022, the Secretary to the Commission issued a letter finding that the application as supplemented complies with §122 of the PSL. Under New York State Law, the Commission may adopt or reject the Applicant’s proposal, in whole or part, or modify it. In doing so, the Commission will consider input from the participating parties and the general public. An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) is presiding over the gathering of public comments and all evidence related to the transmission facility. A public statement hearing will be held to obtain comments from the public concerning the application. As this is not an opportunity for parties to relitigate issues already decided by the Siting Board in the above-referenced Article 10 proceeding, comments should pertain to the application and the requirements of Article VII of the Public Service Law.

Two virtual public statement hearings in this case were conducted on May 24, 2022. This is a notice of an additional, virtual public statement hearing.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a virtual public statement hearing will be held before ALJ Gregg Sayre as follows:

DATE: Tuesday, June 28, 2022

TIME: 6:00 P.M.

Electronic Access: www.webex.com

Event Number: 2333 693 2758

Password: June28-6pm

Phone-Only Access: (518) 549-0500

Access Code: 2333 693 2758

A brief informational session, describing the process to be followed in this case and the transmission facility, will be conducted at the time stated above. The public statement hearing will begin immediately thereafter, where all those wishing to comment on the Application will have an opportunity to make a statement on the record before the ALJ.

Any person wishing to provide a public statement at the hearing must pre-register to do so by 3:00 p.m. on Monday, June 27, 2022.

To register electronically: Participants who would like to provide a statement and will log in to a hearing electronically must register to do so by visiting www.webex.com by the date and time indicated above, where they should click “Join” at the top right-hand corner of the screen, enter the appropriate event number listed above, and provide all requested information.

When logging in to the hearing on the appropriate date and time, participants will be asked to “select audio system.” It is recommended that participants opt to have the system “call me” or “call using computer.” The “call me” option will require that participants enter their phone numbers.

To register by phone: Any participant who is not able to log in to a hearing electronically may participate by phone. Call-in participants wishing to provide a statement must register to do so by calling 1-800-342-3330 by the date and time noted above, 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 time of the hearing, all 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 on each person who has asked to provide 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 also recommended that lengthy comments be submitted in writing and summarized for oral presentation. A verbatim transcript of the public statement hearing will be made for inclusion in the record of this case.

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 the public statement hearing, there are several other ways to provide your comments to the Commission. Comments should refer to “Case 21-T-0059.” Although comments will be accepted throughout the pendency of this proceeding, they are requested by June 30, 2022.

Internet or Mail: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “Search” and enter “21-T-0059” in the “Search by Case Number” field, and then click on “Post Comments” at the top right of the page. Alternatively, comments may be mailed to the Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, 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: You may 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.

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