For Immediate Release: 08/10/21

John B. Howard, Chair

Contact:

 

James Denn | James.Denn@dps.ny.gov | (518) 474-7080

http://www.dps.ny.gov

http://twitter.com/NYSDPS

    

  

 

 

 

21079 / 21-E-0345

 

August 10, 2021

Virtual Public Statement Hearings and Comments Sought Regarding Morris Ridge Solar Farm

 

ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold a virtual public statement hearing on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, to receive public comments concerning a petition filed on June 21, 2021, by Morris Ridge Solar Energy Center, LLC (Morris Ridge), seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the Commission.
 
The CPCN, if issued, would authorize Morris Ridge to construct and operate a proposed major solar electric generating facility in the Town of Mt. Morris, Livingston County. Construction and operation of the project would be subject to the terms and conditions of the siting permit issued by the Office of Renewable Energy Siting on June 25, 2021. Morris Ridge’s petition also asks that the Commission find and determine that Morris Ridge is entitled to lightened regulation as a wholesale electric generator. The scope of the Commission’s review of the petition is narrow and focuses on questions involving the readiness and feasibility of Morris Ridge to begin construction. As a result, this proceeding will not duplicate the issues that were previously considered and decided by the Office of Renewable Energy Siting.
 
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a virtual public statement hearing will be held before Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) James A. Costello, as follows:
 
DATE: Tuesday, August 17, 2021
TIME:  1:00 P.M.

Electronic Access: www.webex.com
Event Number: 179 881 9224
Password: Aug17-1pm
 
Phone-Only Access: (518) 549-0500
Access Code: 179 881 9224
 
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 Monday, August 16, 2021.
 
To register electronically: Participants who would like to provide a statement and will login 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 appropriate event number listed above and provide all requested information.
 
When logging in to the hearing, on the appropriate date and time of 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 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, 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 the hearing, all call-in users should dial 518-549-0500 and enter the relevant 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 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.
 
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
 
For those who cannot attend or prefer not to speak at the public statement hearing, there are several other ways to provide your comments. Comments should refer to Case “21-E-0345.”
 
Internet or Mail: Please go to www.dps.ny.gov, then click on “Search” and enter the case number, “21-E-0345” 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 Hon. 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 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.
 
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