ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today announced it would hold informational forums and public statement hearings in the Town of East Greenbush to receive comments on National Grid’s proposed Pipeline E37 Reliability and Resiliency Project. The proposed project would include the construction and operation of a new 7.3-mile long, 16-inch diameter natural gas transmission pipeline. The project would be located in the Town of Bethlehem in Albany County and the Towns of East and North Greenbush in Rensselaer County.

On February 1, 2019, National Grid filed a petition with the Commission for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need, pursuant to Article VII of the Public Service Law, to construct and operate a natural gas transmission pipeline. The Project involves the installation of a new 16-inch diameter pipeline (E37) and associated facilities, beginning north of National Grid’s Bethlehem Gate Station on River Road in the Town of Bethlehem, and extending northeast to the Company’s Troy Gate Station located on Bloomingrove Drive in the Town of North Greenbush. The pipeline is expected to be approximately 7.3 miles long and have a maximum allowable operating pressure of 300 pounds per square inch. The majority of the new pipeline would be constructed within National Grid’s existing right-of-way.

The Project would close the Albany Loop, which is an existing National Grid horseshoe shaped transmission line that travels from Troy to Bethlehem. National Grid states that the E37 pipeline is necessary since it would enhance the reliability of the Company’s Eastern New York service territory by allowing for diverse sources of natural gas to enter the distribution system.

Opportunities for public information and comment will be held, as follows:

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

The Red Barn
99 Town Park Road
East Greenbush, NY 12061

2:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. Information Sessions
3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Public Statement Hearings

During the scheduled informational forums, maps of the proposed route will be on display, National Grid representatives will be available to answer questions about the Project, and a representative from the New York State Department of Public Service Staff will give a short presentation on the review process in this case. The public is welcome to stop in at any time during the informal informational forums to review information and ask questions.

Each informational forum will be followed by a public statement hearing where those wishing to comment on National Grid’s request will have an opportunity to make a statement on the record. It is not necessary to make an appointment in advance or present written material to speak at the hearing. Persons will be called to speak after completing a request card. Each public statement hearing will be held open for a minimum of one hour and will be kept open until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made to include their comments in the record. A verbatim transcript of each hearing will be made for inclusion in the record of this proceeding.

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 comment about this case to the Commission. Comments should refer to “Case 19-T-0069 – National Grid E37 Project.”

Internet or Mail: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “Search,” search using case number “Case 19-T-0069” and then click the “Post Comments” button at the top of the page; or send comments to the Secretary for the Commission at secretary@dps.ny.gov. Alternatively, comments may be mailed or delivered to Hon. Kathleen H. Burgess, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223?1350.

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.

Although comments submitted via these alternate means will be accepted throughout the pendency of this proceeding, they are requested by April 24, 2019. Written comments received by the Department will become part of the record considered by the Commission. Written comments may be viewed online (go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “Search,” search using the case number and then click on the “Public Comments” tab). Many libraries offer free Internet access.

The application may be viewed at www.dps.ny.gov by searching the case number. Hard and/or electronic copies of the application are also available at: Albany Public Library (Washington Avenue Branch), 161 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12210; North Greenbush Public Library, 141 Main Ave, Wynantskill, NY 12198; East Greenbush Community Library, 10 Community Way, East Greenbush, NY 12061; Bethlehem Public Library, 451 Delaware Ave, Delmar, NY 12054; North Greenbush Town Hall, 2 Douglas Street, Wynantskill, NY 12198; East Greenbush Town Hall, 225 Columbia Turnpike, Rensselaer, NY 12144; and Bethlehem Town Hall, 45 Delaware Avenue, Delmar, NY 12054.