- By Marion Read
- News
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In their letter to Kevin Kolevar, Director, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Arcuri, Hinchey, and Hall requested local public meetings in Upstate New York during the 60-day public comment period for the Department of Energy's draft designation of a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor - to allow communities most affected by NYRI's proposed power line the opportunity to voice their concerns.
“In order to maximize public participation in these meetings and ensure that all stakeholders in this process are given fair opportunity to convey their opinions in this matter, we respectfully request that DOE hold at lease one additional public meeting on the proposed NIETCs within the 60-day public comment period. We strongly encourage you to hold the additional meeting(s) in upstate New York, closer to the “source” area and communities along the proposed Mid-Atlantic Area National Corridor,” Arcuri, Hall, and Hinchey wrote to Kolevar.
The congressmen also sent a letter to Representative Dennis Kucinich, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, requesting a follow-up Congressional hearing in Upstate New York regarding the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which created new federal authority to site electric transmission lines throughout the country, except for certain parts of Texas.
Included in the Department of Energy's draft is a proposal to create a Mid-Atlantic Area National Corridor which would include the following counties in New York State: Albany, Bronx, Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Herkimer, Jefferson, Kings, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Renssalaer, Richmond, Rockland, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Seneca, Suffolk Sullivan, Ulster, Wayne, Westchester, and Wyoming.
Section 1221 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, created new federal authority to site electric transmission lines throughout the country. Under the Act, the Department of Energy may designate areas of the country as “National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors.” Within these corridors, state authority over transmission lines may be preempted and new federal eminent domain authority could be used to obtain land for approved electric utility transmission projects. Hinchey voted against the bill when it came before the House in 2005.
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