ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) announced that it would hold two virtual public statement hearings on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, to receive public comments on Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation’s (RG&E) request for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need pursuant to Public Service Law Article VII for authority to construct the “Rochester Transmission Project Enhancement” (RTP Enhancement).

On December 16, 2004, the Commission previously granted a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need (Certificate) to RG&E for the Rochester Transmission Project (RTP) in Case 03-T-1385. The RTP consists of approximately 32 miles of new or rebuilt 115 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines and equipment upgrades at several existing substations in Wayne County and a new approximately 5.7 mile kV transmission line, substation and equipment upgrades in Monroe County, including reconstructing Line 916 and upgrading Station 48 in the City of Rochester.

The RTP Enhancement proposed in this proceeding is an amendment to the Certificate and would permit RG&E to construct, operate and maintain a new 115 kV transmission line (Line 949) for a total of 6.7 miles from Station 418 in the Town of Gates to Station 48 in the City of Rochester. Approximately 0.34 miles of the new line would be on double-circuit structures with existing Line 918. The RTP Enhancement would include plans to expand and upgrade Stations 48 and 418. RG&E proposes to locate the RTP Enhancement primarily along existing electric transmission and railroad rights-of-way. In some areas new transmission line rights-of-way will be required to accommodate the RTP Enhancement and maintain required clearances.

RG&E also proposes installation of stormwater management features, one or more temporary laydown/staging areas and marshaling yards, and constructing or improving supporting access roads. RG&E states that the RTP Enhancement will allow RG&E to ensure reliable service to customers in its Western Division by mitigating the radial condition of Station 418, reinforcing the bulk power supply, allowing for voltage to remain within the normal operating range, and ensuring reliable service under the contingency loss requirements of the New York bulk electric system.

Virtual public informational forums and public statement hearings on the RTP Enhancement will be held before Administrative Law Judge Gregg Sayre of the Department of Public Service. The public informational forums will begin at the times shown below. A public statement hearing will immediately follow each public informational forum.

Any person wishing to provide a public statement on the record at a hearing must pre-register to do so by 5:00 P.M. on Friday, September 11, 2020. To register electronically: Participants who would like to provide a statement and will login to a hearing electronically may register to do so by visiting www.webex.com, 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 a hearing on the appropriate date and time of the hearing, 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 participants to enter their phone numbers.

To register by phone: Any participant who is not able to login to a hearing electronically may participate by phone. Call-in participants wishing to provide a statement must register to do so in advance by calling 1-800-342-3330, where they should follow prompts to the appropriate hearing and provide the following information: first and last name, address, and phone number.

On the appropriate date and time of a hearing, all call-in users should dial 518-549-0500 and enter the relevant access code listed above. Each 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. We also recommend 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. Disabled persons 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. Comments should refer to Case “20-T-0103.” Although comments will be accepted throughout the pendency of this proceeding, they are requested by November 1, 2020.

Internet or Mail: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, then click on “Search” and enter the case number, “20-T-0103” 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.

Alternatively, comments may be mailed to 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.