NORWICH – With an apparent lull in activity, opponents of the New York Regional Interconnection have momentarily focused their aim away from the Albany power purveyor, and set their sights on the local citizenry.
Local experts along with county and state officials are planning to meet Oct. 25 at Norwich High School for an informational meeting to update the public, take questions and provide answers on the current status of the $1.6 billion power line proposal. NYRI will not be invited to formally speak at the event.
“People need to understand where we are at this point,” said Assemblyman Cliff Crouch (R-Guilford), the meeting’s organizer and scheduled moderator. “This issue hasn’t gone away ... we need to stay focused and we need the people focused with us.”
The decision to hold a public forum in Chenango County comes in response to two earlier local hearings – one held by NYRI in May, the other by the state’s Senate Energy Committee in June – that fostered little to no constructive public interaction.
“It’s time to hold a public meeting to lay out the issues in clear and understandable terms,” said Norwich resident Perry Owen, a member of the citizens group STOP NYRI. “The NYRI informational meeting left residents very confused regarding the company’s plan.”
NYRI, a subsidiary of Colmac Energy, a Canadian energy firm, announced a plan in March to construct a 200 mile-long 400,000 volt transmission line from Marcy to New Windsor, traversing over 40 miles through Chenango County. If approved, NYRI’s path would be contingent on the use of eminent domain and right of ways obtained in a supposed agreement with the New York Susquehanna & Western railroad – the railroad agreement is currently being disputed in state Supreme Court, and the power of eminent domain was removed earlier this month by a new state law limiting the power of certain transmission companies. However, some question the constitutionality of the new and narrow legislation.
NYRI representatives contend that the line would benefit the entire state by relieving energy constraints downstate, thus increasing overall power reliability. However, NYRI admits the project would not only rely on upstate for the land and electricity to provide the power, it would increase upstate energy rates, and the line would not be accessible for upstate energy consumption. Those factors, combined with negative health, environmental, and economic impacts feared to be inherent with such a project, have left residents along the proposed corridor, like Owen, concerned about the future of their communities.
“If I feel that anything is going to happen to the detriment of our community, I get defensive,” Owen said. “We love this place and we love the people.”
The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, in the Norwich High School Auditorium. Anticipated guests include STOP NYRI co-chair Eve Ann Shwartz, Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum, Dr. Scott Cohen, County Planning Director Donna Jones, Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers and County Attorney Richard Breslin, along with representatives from the New York state Public Service Commission, Senators Jim Seward (R-Milford), Senator Tom Libous (R-Binghamton) and Assemblyman Crouch.
NYRI has yet to re-submit an Article VII citing application to the PSC, which will decide the fate of the project at the state level. The company’s first application was denied by the agency due to multiple deficiencies. However, by year’s end the Federal Department of Energy could designate this area part of a national interest electricity transmission corridor, and supplant the state’s approval authority.