Charges of NIMBYism and Shortsightedness Clash in NYRI Debate
Proposal to build power lines connecting upstate plants generates controversy
Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:19:00
A proposal for a power line that would deliver electricity generated upstate to a booming consumer market downstate has infuriated a third, increasingly vocal constituency: those in the middle.
The New York Regional Interconnection (NYRI) is a proposal by a group of investors to facilitate the transmission of power produced at upstate generators to pockets of increased consumer demand downstate, in and around New York City. The new power line would head off two looming problems: an insatiable thirst for energy coming from the state's economic engine, and skyrocketing costs of energy spurred by global demand and insufficient production.
NYRI President Chris Thompson said the diversion of power from upstate may initially spur an uptick in prices there, but that the transmission line would ultimately lower costs for everyone.
"There might be a slight variation, but we are actually forecasting that rates will be dropping all across the state as part of this project," he said.
But community groups and their advocates in the Legislature have so far been skeptical of the proposal to string more than 200 miles of power lines from Utica to the suburbs north of New York City, supported by transmission towers built along existing rights of way, such as rail lines.
"It is wrong to take power from one region which is cheaper and supply it to another region, hurting the environment, and raising the rates of the region with the cheaper power," said State Sen. John Bonacic (R-Delaware/Sullivan/Orange/Ulster), whose district would host a considerable stretch of the line. "You can't play one region against the other. That's not good public policy."
Opponents have built a fairly extensive coalition of community activists and legislators, producing white papers, websites and information networks to spread word of NYRI's progress. NYRI, in turn, has filed thousands of pages of information and produced reams of data as part of the application process with the Public Service Commission (PSC), which the group says is almost complete.
(In June, the PSC deemed a third supplement to NYRI's application deficient-not uncommon for large-scale transmission projects. The group says its next submittal should be complete).
Thompson and allies say opposition to the project is rooted in nothing more than a NIMBY mentality to what they call a critical infrastructure project.
"At some point," Thompson said, "if we're going to build large infrastructure projects to support cities, you have to put it in somebody's backyard."
Opponents, however, disagree.
Bonacic sponsored a bill passed in 2006 and signed by Gov. George Pataki (R) prohibiting the use of eminent domain to seize land for the $2 billion project. That bill has only heightened the intensity with which NYRI's opponents-who include Sens. Hillary Clinton (D) and Charles Schumer (D), as well as local Reps. Mike Arcuri (D) and Maurice Hinchey (D)-have dug in against the group's efforts, still in the application process.
"The initial reaction was suspicion," said Assembly Member Clifford Crouch (R-Chenango/Broome/Delaware/Ulster), whose district also overlaps with the proposed route. "I really am very impressed with the quality of information the citizens themselves have been able to dig into and find and be able to put together as opposition to this."
He added: "None of them has been swayed at this point in time."
NYRI has said that, in addition to the increased transmission capacity, the project would generate about $37 million in tax revenues to local communities, as well as create more than 400 construction jobs over three years as the transmission line is built.
Aside from those projected benefits, NYRI sees the increasing downstate demand as a problem the state must face quickly in order to head off an energy crisis.
"At some point, somebody in the state has to deem what's in the best interests of the majority of the state," said Thompson, referring to the PSC, which is ultimately responsible for rejecting or approving the proposal. "On occasion, the few have to sacrifice for the many."
The New York Regional Interconnection (NYRI) is a proposal by a group of investors to facilitate the transmission of power produced at upstate generators to pockets of increased consumer demand downstate, in and around New York City. The new power line would head off two looming problems: an insatiable thirst for energy coming from the state's economic engine, and skyrocketing costs of energy spurred by global demand and insufficient production.
NYRI President Chris Thompson said the diversion of power from upstate may initially spur an uptick in prices there, but that the transmission line would ultimately lower costs for everyone.
"There might be a slight variation, but we are actually forecasting that rates will be dropping all across the state as part of this project," he said.
But community groups and their advocates in the Legislature have so far been skeptical of the proposal to string more than 200 miles of power lines from Utica to the suburbs north of New York City, supported by transmission towers built along existing rights of way, such as rail lines.
"It is wrong to take power from one region which is cheaper and supply it to another region, hurting the environment, and raising the rates of the region with the cheaper power," said State Sen. John Bonacic (R-Delaware/Sullivan/Orange/Ulster), whose district would host a considerable stretch of the line. "You can't play one region against the other. That's not good public policy."
Opponents have built a fairly extensive coalition of community activists and legislators, producing white papers, websites and information networks to spread word of NYRI's progress. NYRI, in turn, has filed thousands of pages of information and produced reams of data as part of the application process with the Public Service Commission (PSC), which the group says is almost complete.
(In June, the PSC deemed a third supplement to NYRI's application deficient-not uncommon for large-scale transmission projects. The group says its next submittal should be complete).
Thompson and allies say opposition to the project is rooted in nothing more than a NIMBY mentality to what they call a critical infrastructure project.
"At some point," Thompson said, "if we're going to build large infrastructure projects to support cities, you have to put it in somebody's backyard."
Opponents, however, disagree.
Bonacic sponsored a bill passed in 2006 and signed by Gov. George Pataki (R) prohibiting the use of eminent domain to seize land for the $2 billion project. That bill has only heightened the intensity with which NYRI's opponents-who include Sens. Hillary Clinton (D) and Charles Schumer (D), as well as local Reps. Mike Arcuri (D) and Maurice Hinchey (D)-have dug in against the group's efforts, still in the application process.
"The initial reaction was suspicion," said Assembly Member Clifford Crouch (R-Chenango/Broome/Delaware/Ulster), whose district also overlaps with the proposed route. "I really am very impressed with the quality of information the citizens themselves have been able to dig into and find and be able to put together as opposition to this."
He added: "None of them has been swayed at this point in time."
NYRI has said that, in addition to the increased transmission capacity, the project would generate about $37 million in tax revenues to local communities, as well as create more than 400 construction jobs over three years as the transmission line is built.
Aside from those projected benefits, NYRI sees the increasing downstate demand as a problem the state must face quickly in order to head off an energy crisis.
"At some point, somebody in the state has to deem what's in the best interests of the majority of the state," said Thompson, referring to the PSC, which is ultimately responsible for rejecting or approving the proposal. "On occasion, the few have to sacrifice for the many."
