New York State OKs $57.8 million underground transmission line linking Nanuet to West Nyack

(UI) — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) has greenlit a $57.8 million project to install a new 138 kilovolt (kV) underground transmission line spanning approximately five-and-one-half miles between the Burns substation and the West Nyack Substation in the Town of Clarkstown, Rockland County.

Commission Chair Rory M. Christian expressed optimism about the project, stating, “This new transmission project is good news for the region and its customers. It will help improve reliability and reduce the chances of power outages due to an over-stressed electric grid.”

The project aims to relieve potential overloading of existing infrastructure and enhance the regional transmission network's overall resiliency and power source reliability to southern Rockland County. Additionally, it will utilize existing rights-of-way without significant visual impacts.

During the routing phase of the project, O&R prioritized selecting a route with minimal environmental impact. Instead of opting for an overhead route, which would entail significant tree clearing and potential disruption to sensitive habitats, O&R has proposed an underground route along a public right-of-way to mitigate environmental concerns. This choice not only minimizes environmental impact but also eliminates the visibility of the conductor and supporting monopoles.

Exhibit 4 of the Article VII application evaluates potential environmental impacts, including cultural resources, noise, rare, threatened, and endangered species, sensitive habitats such as wetlands, and water resources, as well as electromagnetic fields (EMF). It outlines mitigation measures that will be implemented to minimize impacts on these sensitive receptors.

As currently proposed, the entire route of the project falls within the public right-of-way (ROW). Throughout the planning phase, O&R and its environmental and engineering consultants have emphasized keeping the route within the public ROW to reduce the necessity of acquiring additional property for construction purposes. The proposed route is contingent upon approval from the New York State Public Service Commission. The final route for the project will be determined upon the conclusion of the Article VII process.

Following approval of the proposed route by the PSC, O&R will develop an Environmental Management and Construction Plan (EM&CP). This plan will detail the mitigation measures incorporated into the design to minimize environmental impacts during construction.

Following public hearings and input, no challenges have been raised against the joint proposal or the project. The decision is available on the Commission’s website, and assistance in various languages is provided for understanding the process.

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