Talks of transmission-line upgrades stalled for most of 2015, but last week, the New York State Public Service Commission voted to move ahead with upgrades in existing rights-of-way and substations, including those in New Scotland, at a cost of $1.2 billion.

“Today’s action limited the new transmission lines to replacement and upgrading of existing lines within existing rights-of-way,” the public service commission said in a statement last week, “and adding new substation facilities at several locations, which will reduce or eliminate adverse environmental, landowner, and economic impacts.”

The not-for-profit group Scenic Hudson is aligned with the Hudson Valley Smart Energy Coalition and has opposed the line upgrade projected to move massive amounts of power across the state to the New York City area.

According to Hayley Carlock, the director of environmental advocacy for Scenic Hudson, a study done by the London Economics Initiative found that electricity use is expected to “decline precipitously” in the next 5 to 10 years — a decline that “goes against conventional wisdom.”

“That’s not what we’re seeing today,” Carlock said of energy use. “People are using less electricity.”

Scenic Hudson said that the rate-payer-funded costs to upgrade are unnecessary and expensive, but the public service commission said that the proposed project will provide $1.20 in benefits for every dollar that it costs.

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2012 New York Energy Highway Task Force created a plan to improve the state’s energy infrastructure. Part of that plan would have expanded more than 150 miles of power transmission lines across the state to develop and carry 1,000 megawatts of electricity.

Due to pressure from upstate residents worried about effects on health, views, and tourism, Cuomo and the New York State Public Service Commission altered the plan early in 2015 and announced siting incentives, like help from the state for any developers whose proposals could use existing transmission corridor easements.

New Scotland has a large power substation with tall towers on Game Farm Road, and large transmission towers march across the town, moving energy from western New York to the downstate area.

Varied views

The commission’s announcement last week “will help provide the transmission backbone to fully integrate renewable resources – like wind power – into the grid,” said Power NY Coalition in a statement last week. “Especially in upstate New York, this development has been put on hold until now due to congestion…this upgrade is a critical step toward reaching the governor’s sustainability goal of using 50% renewable energy by 2030 and creating a more sustainable and reliable future.” Power NY Coalition could not be reached before press time.

Carlock disagreed with the Power NY Coalition’s interpretation of electronic congestion, which the public service commission described as aging power lines that do not allow electricity produced upstate to move to areas of greater demand, like New York City.

“We’re not saying ‘no power,’” Carlock said. “We absolutely recognize there is a necessity for ongoing power systems in the future.” She said that 1,000 megawatts of additional capacity, as proposed to keep peak-season rates low, is not necessary.

In addition to the reduction of power projected to be one-third of current usage, Carlock said, two power plants in Orange County open within the year could meet downstate energy demand.

“The more generation that exists in southeast New York lessens congestion between upstate and downstate,” she said.

Finally, Carlock said, gas prices also affect power congestion.

“All of these things are very fluid,” she said.

The plans

The new plans include proposals to construct a 345-kilovolt line from Oneida County to New Scotland on existing rights-of-way; substation work at New Scotland; and new line traps, relays, potential transformer upgrades, switch upgrades, system control upgrades, and the installation of data acquisition measuring equipment and control wire needed to handle higher line currents that occur because of the new line from Oneida to New Scotland.

Scenic Hudson opposes the upgrades, but does not oppose maintaining and repairing the current lines to keep them “robust and safe,” Carlock said. “We absolutely do not oppose that. Scenic Hudson has always recognized that, occasionally, infrastructure does need to be built — we look at how to minimize the effects on the environment. In this project, that doesn’t apply — it’s not for the public good. It’s not needed, and it’s expensive.”

She said that the new plans announced by the commission are better than previous iterations.

“That doesn’t mean the environmental concerns are gone,” she said.

Conversely, the public service commission stated this week that, in continuing to solicit vendor plans to upgrade power transmission lines within the existing rights-of-way, the state will reduce environmental and health impacts by eliminating less efficient electric generation; enhance system reliability, flexibility, and efficiency; and increase diversity in supply, including additional renewable resources.