ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold a virtual public statement hearing on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, regarding an application filed by New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) pursuant to Public Service Law (PSL) Article VII for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need (Certificate). 

On February 5, 2025, NYSEG filed an application pursuant to PSL Article VII for a Certificate, seeking authorization to construct, operate, and maintain the Southern Tier Area Reliability West Project. The project involves the rebuild and partial rerouting of existing line 962, a 115-kilovolt electric transmission line extending approximately 34 miles from the Hillside substation in the City of Elmira to the South Owego substation in the Town of Owego, in Chemung and Tioga counties. As part of the project, NYSEG would also expand the Watercure substation in the Town of Elmira and relocate the Lounsberry Substation in the Town of Nichols. NYSEG maintains that the project is necessary to ensure its continued provision of safe and reliable service and to achieve climate change objectives in NYSEG’s Binghamton and Elmira divisions. 

Under New York State Law, the Commission may adopt or reject NYSEG’s proposal, in whole or in part, or modify it. In doing so, the Commission will consider input from those participating in this proceeding and the public.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a virtual public statement hearing will be held before the assigned Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) on:

Any person wishing to provide a public statement on the record during the virtual public statement hearing must register to do so by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2025, in accordance with the instructions set forth below.

To register and provide a statement electronically:

Participants who would like to provide a statement and will log in to the hearing electronically must register by the date and time indicated above by visiting https://dps.ny.gov/calendar, clicking on the “View DPS Calendar Listings” button under the “Calendars” section, scrolling to and clicking on the Southern Tier Area Reliability West Project Public Statement Hearing for Tuesday, December 9, 2025, clicking the ”Register” button, and providing all requested information in the pop-up box. After registration is complete, registrants will receive a confirmation email with instructions about how to join the public statement hearing.

When logging in to participate in 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 that participants enter their phone numbers.

To register and provide a statement by phone:

This option is available to any participant who is not able to log in to the virtual public statement hearing electronically. Call-in participants wishing to make a statement at the virtual public statement hearing must register by the date and time indicated above by calling 1-800-342-3330, following the prompts to the appropriate hearing, and providing the following information: first name and last name, address, and phone number.

On the day and time of the hearing, dial 1-929-251-9612 and enter the access code listed above.

To listen to the hearing without making a statement:

Any interested person may listen to the hearing by phone by calling 1-929-251-9612 and entering the access code listed above.

All participants will be muted upon entry into the virtual public statement hearing. The ALJ will call upon each person who has registered to make a statement. The ALJ will continue the hearing until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements to receive their comments have been made. Reasonable time limits may be established to help ensure that all those who wish to comment have an opportunity to be heard. It is requested 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.

Persons with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodations should call the Department of Public Service’s Human Resources Management Office at 518-473-9463 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 comment at the virtual public statement hearing, there are several other ways to provide your comments. Comments should refer to “Case 25-T-0080.” All comments must be received by April 30, 2026. Comments received after the deadline may not be considered by the Commission.

Internet or Mail: Please go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “File Search” (located under the heading “Commission Files”), enter “25-T-0080” in the “Search by Case Number” field, and then click on “Post Comments” at the top of the page.

Those who are unable to file comments electronically may mail their comments to the Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York, 12223-1350; however, electronic filing of comments is strongly encouraged.

All written comments submitted in accordance with these instructions will be posted on the Department of Public Service website and may be accessed by searching the case number, as described above, and clicking on the “Public Comments” tab. However, as noted above, untimely comments may not be considered by the Commission. 

Toll-Free Opinion Line: Individuals may submit comments by calling the Commission’s Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120. This number is set up to receive in-State calls 24-hours a day. These comments are not transcribed verbatim, but a summary is provided to the Commission.