Electricity: an upstate versus downstate issue?

Senate candidate addresses NYRI again

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — What’s the best way to get more electricity into New York City and its suburbs? Susan Zimet said the answer is a new corridor from New Jersey under the Hudson River into the city. Zimet, an Ulster County legislator who is running for the state senate against Senator John Bonacic, held a press conference at the Sullivan County Government Center on September 21, to make the point. She provided documents that show that city officials asked the Department of Energy (DOE) in January to designate an area between New York and New Jersey as a National Interest Electricity Corridor (NIETC).

The second point Zimet wanted to make was that the issue of power should not be one that pits upstate residents against their downstate counterparts. To help with that part of the message, she brought along New York State Senator Tom Duane, who represents Manhattan, and has a weekend home in Callicoon. Duane said, “I want to stop this foolish myth that the residents of New York City are not concerned about how we receive our electricity. We care about the state’s environment too.”

In the recent controversy over the power lines proposed by New York Regional Interconnect (NYRI), there has been talk from several elected officials that the power lines will benefit downstate residents at the expense of upstate residents.

Zimet, who recently suggested that power lines could be buried along the New York Thruway, said this second proposal was an even better way to go, because the lines would be buried. In August, the New York Independent System Operator, a non-profit group responsible for the operation of New York’s electrical grid, released a survey which also recommended new power transmission lines from New Jersey, buried under the Hudson River, as a preferred way to deal with the growing electricity needs of New York City.

Zimet’s news conference drew a swift response from Bonacic’s office. Kate Glazer, a spokeswoman for Bonacic dismissed both of Zimets proposals regarding alternative placement of power lines. She said, “While Ms. Zimet finds new ways to surrender to the greed of the power line companies, Senator Bonacic will continue to fight the NYRI proposal and any other power line scheme that threatens our communities.”

Zimet, in return, attacked Bonacic’s bill that would strip companies such as NYRI of the power of eminent domain. Zimet called the bill, which has not yet been signed by Governor Pataki, “mere pandering.”

Zimet also accused senate Republicans of blocking the renewal of Article 10 legislation, which governs the construction of new power plants in the state. Until the legislation is renewed, no new power plants can be built. Both the senate and the assembly have passed renewal bills, but they contain significant differences. According to a source in the assembly, the version passed by the senate, which is controlled by Republicans, would essentially extend the existing Article 10 legislation, which expired in 2002.

The version passed by the assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, would amend it so that any plant 30 megawatts in size or larger would be subject to the Article 10 process; the old threshold was 80 megawatts or larger.

The assembly version of the bill also includes an environmental justice element that would require the recording of health conditions of residents in surrounding communities. In previous statements, Senator John Bonacic has accused assembly Democrats from New York City of blocking the renewal of Article 10 legislation.