Virtual Public Statement Hearing Set Regarding South Fork Wind

ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) announced that it will hold a virtual public statement hearing on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, regarding a petition filed by South Fork Wind, LLC (South Fork) on May 3, 2021.

On March 18, 2021, the Commission granted a conditional certificate to South Fork to construct, own and operate a 7.6-mile, 138-kilovolt alternating current electric cable that will connect the South Fork Wind Farm, located in federal jurisdictional waters off the coast of Long Island, to the existing mainland electrical grid in East Hampton, Suffolk County. In doing so, the Commission determined that the project addressed a public need and was necessary to deliver power from the offshore facility to the East Hampton substation.

Prior to beginning construction on the project, South Fork must obtain a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) pursuant to PSL §68, which would ensure that South Fork is properly registered to do business in New York State, that it has received the consent of appropriate municipalities to proceed with the project, and that it is financially capable of doing so. Accordingly, on May 3, 2021, South Fork filed a petition requesting that the Commission issue an order granting a CPCN pursuant to PSL §68; and finding that South Fork is entitled to a lightened regulatory regime as a participant in the wholesale electric market.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that comments are sought on the petition filed by South Fork on May 3, 2021. As this is not an opportunity for parties to relitigate issues already decided by the Commission in the above-referenced Article VII proceeding, comments should pertain to South Fork’s ability and readiness to commence construction of the Project as contemplated by PSL §68.

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

DATE: Wednesday, July 7, 2021

TIME: 1:00 P.M.

Electronic Access: www.webex.com

Event Number: 173 757 6191

Password: July7-1pm

Phone-Only Access: (518) 549-0500

Access Code: 173 757 6191

Any person wishing to provide a public statement on the record at the hearing must pre-register to do so by 3:00 P.M. on Tuesday, July 6, 2021.

To register electronically: Participants who would like to provide a statement and will log in to the 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 event number listed above and provide all requested information.

When logging in to the hearing on the appropriate date and time, 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 by phone: Any participant who is not able to log in to the 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 by the date and time noted 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 date and time of the hearing, all call-in users should dial 518-549-0500 and enter the access code listed above.

The 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. It is also recommended that lengthy comments be submitted in writing and summarized for oral presentation. A verbatim transcript of the public statement 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 “21-E-0261.”

Internet or Mail: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “Search” and enter “21-E-0261” 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 the Honorable 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.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a procedural conference will be held immediately following the public statement hearing, as part of the same teleconference. The principal purpose of the procedural conference are to identify any potential parties and provide interested persons an opportunity to present and explain any proposals regarding the procedures they believe should be followed in this case by the ALJ and Commission including, but not limited to, whether any issues of fact presented by the petition or public comments warrant an evidentiary hearing. Other procedural issues also may be addressed.

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