ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold two virtual information forums and public statement hearings on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, regarding Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid’s (National Grid) application to rebuild, operate, and maintain a 21.7-mile portion of its 115 kilovolt electric transmission line in Niagara and Genesee counties.  

On November 18, 2022, National Grid filed an application for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need pursuant to Public Service Law (PSL) Article VII for approval to rebuild, operate, and maintain a 21.7-mile portion of its 115 kilovolt electric transmission line. This line, known as Line 112, extends from the City of Lockport through the Town of Royalton in Niagara County to the Towns of Alabama and Batavia in Genesee County. If granted, the certificate would authorize National Grid to rebuild, operate, and maintain Line 112 and associated facilities, including replacement of 178 “aeromotor” structures and existing conductors, installation of stormwater management features, construction of staging/laydown areas and marshalling yards, and improvement of access roads. Although the proposed project is along the existing Line 112 transmission right-of-way, one segment of approximately 2.2 miles in length will be re-located through the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area in the Town of Alabama, Genesee County.

In considering the application, the Commission may adopt or reject National Grid’s proposal, in whole or part, or may modify it. In doing so, the Commission will consider input from the participating parties and the public. At the virtual information forums, staff of the Department of Public Service will provide an overview of the Commission’s certification process, National Grid will present a brief summary of the proposed project, and then members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions about the process and the project. The information forums will be followed by public statement hearings. Those wishing to comment on any aspect of this proceeding will have the opportunity to comment on the record at the public statement hearings and should register in advance if they wish to do so. A verbatim transcript of each public statement hearing will be made for inclusion in the record of this proceeding.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that virtual public statement hearings will be held before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) as follows:

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 hearings. Any person wishing to provide a public statement must register to do so by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, November 27, 2023.

To register and provide a statement electronically: Participants who would like to provide a statement and will log in to a hearing electronically must register to do so by the date and time indicated above, by clicking on https://signin.webex.com/join. Registrants should enter the appropriate meeting number for the hearing and the appropriate webinar password listed above, click “Register” underneath the webinar password, and provide all requested information. When logging in to the hearing on the appropriate date and time, participants should click on https://signin.webex.com/join, enter the appropriate meeting number for the hearing, and input the appropriate webinar password listed above. 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 and provide a statement 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 to do so by the date and time indicated above by calling 1-800-342-3330, follow the prompts to the appropriate hearing, and provide the following information: first name and last name, address, and phone number. On the appropriate day and time of the hearing, all call-in participants should dial 1-518-549-0500 and enter the relevant access code and phone-only password 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 registered 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. 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.

To listen to the hearings: Any person who would like to listen to the hearings but would not like to make a statement may access the hearings without registering. 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 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 English are encouraged to call the Department at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this notice.

The Application may be reviewed online at the Department of Public Service website, www.dps.ny.gov. To access documents, click on “File Search” (located under the heading “Commission Files”), and enter “22-T-0654” in the “Search by Case Number” field. The Application is also available for review at local public libraries in the project vicinity.

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 22-T-0654.” Although comments will be accepted throughout the course of this proceeding, they are requested by December 20, 2023.

Internet or Mail: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “File Search” (located under the heading “Commission Files”), enter “22-T-0654” in the “Search by Case Number” field, and then click on the “Post Comments” box at the top 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. Filing electronically is strongly encouraged.

Toll-Free Opinion Line: Individuals may choose to submit comments by calling the Commission’s Opinion Line at 1- 800-335-2120. This number is set up to receive 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.