PSC Seeking Public Comment on Transmission Line from
Moreau, Saratoga County to Easton, Washington County

The New York State Public Service Commission will hold two informational forums and two public statement hearings on the application of Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid (Niagara Mohawk) to reconstruct approximately 14 miles of 115 kV double-circuit transmission facilities located in Saratoga and Washington Counties.  Public statement hearings will be held before the Administrative Law Judge.

Interested members of the public are invited to attend these informational forums to receive updated information from the Department of Public Service and the applicant. Following each forum, members of the public may provide their comments regarding this matter at public statement hearings.  It is not necessary to make an appointment in advance or present written material to speak at the hearings.
 
Disabled persons requiring special accommodations may place a collect call to the Department of Public Service's Human Resources Management Office at 518-474-2520.  TDD users may request a sign language interpreter by placing a call through the New York Relay Service at 711 to reach the Department of Public Service’s Human Resource Office at the previously mentioned number.

Public Information Forums
Public Statement Hearings

Fort Edward Thursday, July 21, 2011
 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Public Information Forum
 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Public Statement Hearing

 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Public Information Forum
 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Public Statement Hearing

 Washington County Municipal Center Annex 2
 383 Broadway
 Fort Edward, New York 12828

 Background

Article VII of the New York State Public Service Law establishes the review process for consideration of any application to construct and operate an electric transmission line with a design capacity of 100 kilovolts (kV) or more, extending for at least ten miles, or with a capacity of 125 kV or more, extending for a distance of one mile or more. 

On February 17, 2011, Niagara Mohawk submitted an application for the reconstruction of approximately 14 miles of 115 kV double-circuit transmission facilities located between the Mohican and Battenkill substations.  The transmission line traverses the Town of Moreau in Saratoga County and the Towns of Fort Edward, Greenwich, and Easton in Washington County.  Niagara Mohawk is seeking to expand the right-of-way immediately adjacent to one or both sides of the existing right-of-way for this project, which would require it to obtain additional property rights. 

Niagara Mohawk was notified on March 18, 2011, by the Secretary to the Commission that the application documents were not in compliance with all of the Article VII requirements and that the deficiencies identified must be corrected before the application could be considered filed and a hearing schedule set.  The application was supplemented on May 9, 2011 and determined to be in compliance with Public Service Law Section 122 and its implementing regulations as of that date. 

How to Obtain Information

The project’s Article VII application documents and other material pertaining to the case can be viewed on the Commission’s website at www.dps.state.ny.us:  (1) click the “What’s Hot: Electric” tab, (2) then click “Case 11-T-0068 - Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid - Mohican to Battenkill 115kV”, (3) then click “View all Case Related Commission Documents for this Case.” 

To better understand the Article VII review process, a copy of the Certification Review
Process For Major Electric and Fuel Gas Transmission Facilities (Article VII Process Guide) may be downloaded from the Commission’s websites (http://www.dps.state.ny.us/Article_VII_Process_Guide.pdf or http://www.AskPSC.com).  If you do not have access to the Internet, a hard copy may be obtained by calling the Commission’s toll-free number, 1-877-772-2789, and leaving your request on the answering machine.  Or, you may consider visiting a library as many offer free Internet access.

Ways to Participate in the Article VII Process
Article VII provides opportunities for individual and group stakeholders to take part in the formal review of the application.  There are several ways to participate in the Article VII process as described below.  To save time and manage all of your service and party list subscriptions easily, you may become a registered user of the NYS Public Service Commission’s Document and Matter Management (DMM) System, by clicking on this link: http://www.dps.state.ny.us/DMM_Registration.html.  Once registered, you can electronically submit requests to be added to the service or party list for a case.  You may also visit www.dps.state.ny.us/MonitorProceedings.html to learn more about these opportunities. 
 
• Party Status:  Becoming a party to a case enables an individual or group to contribute to the development of a complete record by conducting discovery, submitting testimony, briefs, or other formal written comments, and participating in evidentiary hearings, procedural conferences and other formal events conducted in the case. 

When you submit the request for party status on-line (through DMM), you will be provisionally added to the party list, subject to the right of other parties to object and subject to the final determination of the Administrative Law Judge.  You will be required to mail your request to anyone on the party list who cannot receive e-mail service.

If you do not wish to register on the NYS Public Service Commission’s DMM System, you may download the “Request for Party Status Form” (http://tinyurl.com/PSCParticipateForms).  If you do not have access to a computer, you may call (518) 474-4520, or write to Administrative Law Judge Phillips, NYS Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223-1350, to request that a form be mailed to you.  Please follow the instructions on the form.

• Service List:  Interested persons who wish to monitor the proceedings of a particular case can do so without the formal commitment to become a party to the proceeding.  The persons who subscribe to the service list of a case will receive an e-mail with a direct link to the documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulings.  Persons unable or unwilling to receive such electronic notification will receive hard copies of Commission-issued documents by regular mail.

If you do not wish register on the NYS Public Service Commission’s DMM System, you may download the “Service List and Mail Service List Request Form” (http://tinyurl.com/PSCParticipateForms) and send the completed form by e-mail to the Secretary at [email protected].  If you are unable to e-mail the form to the Secretary, you may mail your request to: Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223-1350.

Web Monitoring:  Interested persons who choose not to sign up to receive e-mail notifications can view our website at their convenience to check on the status of a case.  All documents filed by parties, correspondence, hearing transcripts, and documents issued by the Commission in a given case are posted on the website for that case.  In addition, all comments submitted by the public are posted under the ‘public comments’ tab for the same case. 

How to Comment on the Case

• The Internet:  Comments may be submitted via the internet in two ways: (1) from the Commission’s website (www.dps.state.ny.us)  click the “What’s Hot: Electric” tab, then click “Case 11-T-0068 - Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid - Mohican to Battenkill 115kV”, then click “View all Case Related Commission Documents for this Case”, then click “Post Comments”;  and, (2) e-mail comments can be sent directly to the Secretary to the Commission at [email protected].  Many libraries offer free Internet access.  In both instances, your comments should refer to "Case 11-T-0068 –Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid – Petition for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need – Mohican to Battenkill.”

•  Mail Written Comments:  Written comments may also be mailed to Hon. Jaclyn A. Brilling, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350.  Your comments should refer to "Case 11-T-0068 –Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid – Petition for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need – Mohican to Battenkill.”

• Toll-Free Opinion Line:  Another way to submit comments is by calling the Commission’s toll-free Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120.  This line is set up to receive in-state calls 24-hours a day.  Callers should press “1” to leave comments regarding “Electric Issues” and refer to “Case 11-T-0068 –Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid – Petition for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need – Mohican to Battenkill.”

All statements and comments received by the Administrative Law Judge and the Commission will be placed in the case file and posted to the Commission’s Document Matter and Management System to be viewed electronically on the Commission’s website (http://www.dps.state.ny.us).