ALTERNATIVES TO NYSEG POWERLINE PLAN PROPOSED


Mike McCagg
ccSCOOP News

08-17-11 - New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) engineers are exploring a pair of alternatives to stringing a new electric line through the heart of the county.

The alternative proposals were put forth by engineers hired by an unnamed citizen’s group opposed to the original plan proposed by NYSEG in the spring. That plan that would see an approximately 10-mile long overhead electric line strung by NYSEG from a 115-KV transmission line on the western side of the county owned by National Grid to a new substation proposed for Ghent by NYSEG. From there, the line would stretch to NYSEG’S existing Kline Kill substation in Chatham. The proposal would impact portions of Kinderhook, Ghent, Chatham and Stockport.

NYSEG spokesman Clayton Ellis said his company’s engineers are exploring the viability of the alternatives proposed by the citizen group’s electric engineer Rich Gross and lighting engineer Mike Guski, both of whom were hired by the citizen group.

Dave Everett, an attorney hired by the citizen’s group, said none of the alternatives would require the stringing of power lines across land not already used by NYSEG.

“Our engineers favor a low voltage alternative that just requires some equipment upgrades at existing NYSEG facilities and doesn’t require any new lines to be cut across Ghent or Kinderhook. It still allows NYSEG to accomplish everything they want to do,” said Everett.

“Some of the other alternatives proposed use existing right-of-ways,” he added.

The engineers met in Binghamton early this summer; Ellis said he believes NYSEG engineers are still looking at the options.

“Once the assessment is done, we will come back to meet with the folks again,” he said, referring to the citizen’s group.

Everett said he is hopeful that the several weeks NYSEG officials have had to explore the alternative proposals is a good sign.

“Hopefully it is a positive sign that they have looked at our alternatives and like what they see,” he said.

The proposed power line is meant to provide redundancy to the power line that supplies northern Columbia County from the Craryville area.

Ten thousand people would benefit from this project, Ellis has said.