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For Immediate Release: 03/29/2022 Rory M. Christian, Chair Contact:
James Denn | James.Denn@dps.ny.gov | (518) 474-7080
22027 / 21-T-0366
March 29, 2022
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Virtual Public Statement Hearings Set Regarding Empire Offshore Wind Project |
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ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold two virtual public statement hearings on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, to receive public comments concerning a petition filed by Empire Offshore Wind LLC, for authority to construct, operate and maintain approximately 17.5 miles of transmission lines from the boundary of New York State waters to a point of interconnection in Brooklyn, Kings County.
Specifically, the project includes: (i) two 230- kilovolt (kV) high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) submarine export cables within an approximately 15.1 nautical mile-long submarine export cable corridor, extending from the boundary of New York State waters (3 nautical miles from shore) to the cable landfall in Brooklyn; and (ii) a 0.2 mile-long onshore cable route and substation including (a) two three-core 230-kV HVAC onshore export cables buried underground from the cable landfall either directly to the cable terminations or to transition vaults within the proposed onshore substation, (b) an onshore substation located at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal that will increase the voltage to 345 kV for the onshore interconnection cables, and (c) two 345-kV cable circuits, each with three single-core HVAC onshore interconnection cables, that will be buried underground from the onshore substation to the point of interconnection at the Gowanus 345-kV Substation owned by the Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.
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 project.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that opportunities for public comment regarding the applicant’s request will be provided as follows:
Brief informational forums will be conducted by the applicant at the times stated above, and the public statement hearings will begin immediately thereafter, where all those wishing to comment on the applicant’s request will have an opportunity to make a statement on the record before the ALJ. Any person wishing to provide a public statement must register by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, April 4, 2022.
To register electronically: Participants who would like to make a statement and will log in to a hearing electronically must register by visiting www.webex.com by the date and time indicated above, clicking “Join” at the top righthand corner of the screen, inputting the appropriate event number listed above, and providing all requested information.
On the 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 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 phone: Any participant who is not able to log in to a hearing electronically may participate by phone. Call-in participants wishing to make a statement at a hearing must register by calling 1-800-342-3330 by the date and time listed 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 day 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 ALJ will continue each hearing until everyone who has registered 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 registered speakers 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 hearings will be made for inclusion in the record of this case.
To listen to the hearings: Pre-registration is not required for who wish to listen to the hearings but not make a statement. The hearings will be livestreamed on the internet and available for viewing on the Department of Public Service’s YouTube channel on the date and times 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 hearings by phone by calling the phone access number, 518-549-0500, and entering the relevant 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 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 hearings, there are several other ways to provide your comments to the Commission. Comments should refer to “Case 21-T-0366.” Although comments will be accepted throughout the pendency of this proceeding, they are requested by May 31, 2022.
Via the Internet or Mail: Please go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “Search” and enter “21-T-0366” into the “Search by Case Number” field, then click on “Post Comments” at the top right of the page; or submit comments electronically to the Honorable Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, at secretary@dps.ny.gov; or mail comments to the Honorable 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 as described above, and clicking on the “Public Comments” tab.
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. These calls are not transcribed verbatim, but a summary is provided to the Commission by the ALJ.
The application may be reviewed online at the Department of Public Service website, www.dps.ny.gov. To access documents, go to “Search,” and enter “21-T-0366” into the “Search by Case Number” field. The application also is available for review at local public libraries in the project’s vicinity. |
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