New York State Department of Public Service

07/16/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/16/2024 10:03

Public Statement Hearings Set Regarding Queens Transmission Lines

ALBANY - The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold two in-person public statement hearings on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, regarding Queensboro Development, LLC's (Queensboro) December 2, 2022 application to construct, own, and operate the New York State components of the Queensboro Renewable Express, consisting of approximately 18.5 miles of transmission lines from the boundary of New York State waters to points of interconnection in Queens, and associated equipment (the project).

The project is proposed as a ±400 kilovolt (kV) merchant transmission facility with the capacity to deliver approximately 2.62 gigawatts of wind energy generated in federal waters into the New York Independent System Operator Zone J at the site of the Ravenswood Generating Facility in Queens. The project will be interconnected to the 345 kV Rainey Substation and the 138 kV Vernon Substation, which are owned and operated by Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.

Prior to beginning construction of the project, Queensboro must first obtain a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need from the Commission pursuant to Article VII of the Public Service Law. Under New York State Law, the Commission may adopt or reject Queensboro's proposal, in whole or part, or modify it. In doing so, the Commission will consider input from the participating parties and the public. An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) is presiding over the gathering of public comments and all evidence related to the project. The public statement hearings will be held to obtain public comments concerning Queensboro's proposal.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that opportunities for public information and comment regarding Queensboro's request will be provided as follows:

DATE: TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2024

TIME:

Information Forums - 1:00 p.m.

Public Statement Hearing - 2:00 p.m.

Information Forums - 5:30 p.m.

Public Statement Hearing - 6:30 p.m.

LOCATION:

Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement

10-25 41st Avenue

Long Island City, NY 11101

During the scheduled information forums, maps of the proposed route will be available to review, and New York State Department of Public Service representatives will provide an overview of the Commission's certification process. Queensboro will then present a brief summary of the project. Members of the public will then have an opportunity to ask questions about the process and Queensboro's pending application.

Each information forum will be followed by a public statement hearing where those wishing to comment on Queensboro's application will have an opportunity to make a statement on the record before the ALJ. It is not necessary to make an appointment in advance, or present written material to speak at a hearing. Persons will be called to speak after completing a request card. Each public statement hearing will be held open a minimum of 30 minutes 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 public statement hearing will be made for inclusion in the record of this proceeding.

Persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations should call the Department of Public Service's Human Resource 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 of Public Service at 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 hearings, there are several other ways to provide your comments. Comments should refer to "Case 22-T-0670" and must be received no later than September 23, 2024.

Internet or Mail: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on "File Search" (located under the heading "Commission Files"), enter "22-T-0670" in the "Search by Case Number" field, and then click on "Post Comments" at the top of the page.

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: Individuals may submit comments by calling 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.

The application may be reviewed online at the Department of Public Service website, www.dps.ny.gov. To access documents, click on "File Search" (located under the heading "Commission Files"), and enter "22-T-0670" in the "Search by Case Number" field.

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