ALBANY — The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) announced that it will hold two virtual public statement hearings on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, concerning a proposal of Riverhead Solar 2, LLC (Riverhead) to construct and operate a 36 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) solar energy generating facility. The proposed project would be located on approximately 252 acres in the Town of Riverhead, Suffolk County. The project would consist of solar PV generating panels, access roads and fencing, inverters, and a medium voltage collection system. A 34.5 kilovolt (kV) generation tie line would connect the project to a medium voltage collection station. An underground 138 kV line would connect the project to the bulk electric transmission system operated by PSEG Long Island at the existing Edwards Avenue substation.

On June 29, 2020, Riverhead filed its application to construct the project, which is a major electric generating facility under the Public Service Law. The Siting Board is reviewing this proposal. As part of its review, the Siting Board is seeking comments from the general public on the project.  

Documents pertaining to this proceeding may be reviewed online at the Department of Public Service web page (www.dps.ny.gov) by searching under Case 17-F-0655.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that virtual information sessions and public statement hearings in this case will be held before the assigned Examiners at the following date and times. Information sessions will be held prior to the public statement hearings, which will immediately follow. During the information sessions, Riverhead Solar representatives will provide a brief overview of the Company’s proposal. In addition, the Examiners will provide a brief overview of the Public Service Law Article 10 siting review process.

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 in advance of the hearing.  

To register electronically: Participants who would like to provide a statement and will login to a hearing electronically may register to do so by visiting www.webex.com by 5:00 P.M. on Friday, November 27, 2020. From the Webex homepage, registrants should click “Join” at the top right-hand corner of the screen, enter the appropriate event number listed above and provide all requested information.

When logging in to a hearing on the appropriate 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 appropriate event number for 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 participants to enter their phone numbers.

To register by phone: Any participant who is not able to login to a hearing electronically may participate by phone. Call-in participants wishing to provide a statement must register to do so by calling 1-800-342-3330 by 5:00 P.M. on Friday, November 27, 2020, where they should follow prompts to the appropriate hearing and provide the following information: first and last name, address, and phone number.

On the appropriate date and time of a hearing, all call-in users should dial (518) 549-0500 and enter the relevant access code listed above.

All participants will be muted upon entry into the hearing. The Examiners will call on each person who has requested to provide a statement to speak. Each 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 recommended 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.

To listen to the hearing: Any person who would like to listen to the hearing without making a statement may access the hearing without pre-registering. The hearings will be livestreamed on the internet and available for viewing on the Department of Public Service YouTube channel on the date and times listed above. To access that 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.

Other Ways to Comment

Persons who cannot or prefer not to present comments at a public statement hearing may provide comments in the following ways:

Internet or Mail: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, then click on “Search” and enter the case number “17-F-0655” 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 Siting Board at secretary@dps.ny.gov.

Alternatively, comments may be mailed to Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350. All written comments will become part of the record considered by the Siting Board 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 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 Siting Board by the Examiners.

All comments should reference Case 17-F-0655. Although comments will be accepted throughout the pendency of this case, comments are requested by Friday, January 8, 2021.