Marcy to New Scotland Electric Transmission Project Hearing Set

93-mile, 345-kilovolt Transmission Line and Associated Facilities to Run from Marcy to Albany

ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today announced it will hold a public statement hearing in the Mohawk Valley to receive comments on LS Power and the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) plans to construct an approximately 93-mile, 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line starting at the Edic substation in Marcy (Oneida County) and terminating at the New Scotland substation in Albany (Albany County).

On December 4, 2019, LS Power and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) filed a petition with the Commission seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) under Section 68 of the New York State Public Service Law to construct and operate the Marcy to New Scotland Upgrade Project.

The proposed Marcy to New Scotland upgrade project would pass through the Towns of Deerfield and Marcy in Oneida County; the Towns of Schuyler, Frankfort, German Flatts, Little Falls, Stark, Danube, and the Village of Ilion in Herkimer County; the Towns of Minden, Canajoharie, Root, Charleston, Glen, and Florida in Montgomery County; the Towns of Duanesburg, Princetown, and Rotterdam in Schenectady County; and the Towns of Guilderland and New Scotland in Albany County. The project would also include upgrades to the Marcy and Edic substations, construction of a new substation in Princetown, construction of a new substation and upgrades to an existing substation in Rotterdam, and upgrades to the New Scotland substation, along with the removal and replacement of segments of existing transmission lines.

Public hearings for the project are also being held on March 3 in Utica, March 3 in Herkimer, March 4 in Fonda, March 5 in Duanesburg, and March 5 in Guilderland.

An opportunity for public comment will be held, as follows:

At the public statement hearing, persons wishing to comment on LS Power and NYPA’s Section 68 petition may make a statement on the record. Appointments to speak are not necessary; rather, attendees must complete a card requesting time to speak and people will be called in the order in which the cards are received. You need not provide written copies of comments because the public statement hearing will be transcribed, and the comments will be included in the record of this case. The public statement hearing will be held open for at least 30 minutes and, where practicable, will be kept open until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made.

Persons with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodations should contact the Department of Public Service’s Human Resource 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 Commission at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this notice.

Other Ways to Comment

The public statement hearings identified below are being held to provide the public with the opportunity to comment on the proposed Project. For those who cannot attend or prefer not to speak at a public statement hearing, there are several other ways to send comments to the Commission regarding this proposal. Comments should refer to Case 19-E-0739.

Via E-Mail/Mail: Submit comments electronically to Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, at secretary@dps.ny.gov or by mail to Secretary Phillips at the New York State Department of Public Service, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY  12223-1350. Comments delivered in these manners should reference Case 19-E-0739.

Via the Department Website: Comments may be entered directly into the case via the www.dps.ny.gov website, by entering the case number 19-E-0739 in the Search option found on the homepage. After opening the case, enter comments in the “Post Comments” tab located at the top of the page.

Toll-Free Opinion Line: Individuals may choose to submit comments by calling the Commission’s toll-free Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120. This line is set up to receive comments on pending cases from in-state callers, 24-hours a day. These comments are not transcribed but they are summarized and reported to the Commission for its consideration. Callers should refer to “Case 19-E-0739”.

Although comments submitted via these alternate means will be accepted throughout the pendency of this proceeding, they are requested by May 10, 2020. Written comments received by the Department will become part of the record considered by the Commission. Written comments may be viewed online (go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “Search,” search using the case number and then click on the “Public Comments” tab). Many libraries offer free Internet access.