Virtual Public Statement Hearing Set Regarding Battery Storage Facility in Suffolk County

ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold a virtual public statement hearing on Thursday, June 29, 2023, regarding Holtsville Energy Storage, LLC’s (Holtsville), plans to construct, own, and operate a 110-megawatt battery storage facility in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County.

On March 15, 2023, Holtsville filed a petition seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the Commission, pursuant to Section 68 of the Public Service Law. If issued, the CPCN would authorize Holtsville to construct, own, and operate a 110-megawatt energy storage facility in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County. The proposed project would be located on approximately six acres of land within the Town’s industrial zone, and would consist of, among other things, 124 lithium-ion battery containers, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning cooling systems, control instrumentation, and electric grid interconnection switchgear for the 138-kilovolt interconnection.

In addition to the CPCN, Holtsville seeks an order approving a lightened regulatory regime consistent with previous Commission orders involving exempt wholesale generators, and an order for an expedited proceeding pursuant to 16 NYCRR §21.10. Additional details about the project are contained in Holtsville’s petition and exhibits, which may be reviewed online at the Department of Public Service web page, www.dps.ny.gov, by searching under Case 23-E-0142.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a virtual public statement hearing will be held before Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Erika Bergen, as follows:

DATE: Thursday, June 29, 2023

TIME: 1:00 P.M.

Electronic Access: www.webex.com

Meeting Number: 2349 497 7709

Webinar Password: june29-1pm

Phone Access: 518-549-0500

Phone Password: 58632901

Those wishing to comment on any aspect of this proceeding at the virtual public statement hearing must register to do so.

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 to do so by visiting www.webex.com by 4:30 p.m. on June 28, 2023. From the Webex homepage, registrants should click “Join a Meeting” at the top right-hand corner of the screen, enter the meeting number listed above, click “Register” (it is not necessary to add the webinar password for registration), and provide all requested information.

When logging in to the hearing on the date and time of the event, participants should visit www.webex.com, click “Join a Meeting” at the top right-hand corner of the screen, and enter the meeting number and password 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 and provide a statement by phone: Any participant who is not able to log in electronically may participate by phone. Call-in participants wishing to make a statement at the hearing must register to do so by the deadline indicated above by calling 1-800-342-3330, where they should follow prompts to the appropriate hearing and provide the following information: first name and last name, address, and phone number.

On the day and time of the hearing, participants should dial (518) 549-0500 and, when prompted, enter the meeting number and password listed above to join the event. All participants will be muted upon entry into the event. When the hearing begins, 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. 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 but does not intend to make a statement may access the event without registering. In addition, any person without internet access may listen to the event by phone by calling (518) 549-0500 and entering the meeting number and password listed above.

Persons with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodations should call the Department of Public Service’s Human Resources Management Office at (518) 474-2520 as soon as possible. Users of Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf may request a sign language interpreter by placing a call through the New York Relay Service at 711. Individuals with difficulty understanding or reading the English language are encouraged to call the Commission 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 the public statement hearing, there are several other ways to provide your comments to the Commission. Comments should refer to “Case 23-E-0142 – Holtsville Energy Storage.” Although comments will be accepted throughout the pendency of this proceeding, they are requested by July 7, 2023.

Internet or Mail: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “File Search” (located under the “Commission Files” heading), enter “23-E-0142” in the “Search by Case Number” field, and then click on “Post Comments” at the top of the page.

Alternatively, comments may be mailed to the Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, New York State 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 calls 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. The principal purposes 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. Access information for the procedural conference is as stated above for the public statement hearing, as these events will be conducted as separate parts of the same WebEx and conference call.

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