Second Senate Hearing On Nyri Power Line

ALBANY -- Senator Raymond A. Meier, (R-C, Western) and Senator James L. Seward (R-C-I, Oneonta) announced today that a second hearing of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee on the proposed NYRI power line project will be held Monday, July 17, 2006, from 6-9 p.m., at the New Hartford High School auditorium, 33 Oxford Road in New Hartford.

Senators Meier and Seward serve as members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications. Meier represents Oneida County, where the line is proposed to begin. Senators Meier and Seward, whose districts would be affected by the proposed line have requested the hearings.

Officials from NYRI and the New York State Public Service Commission have been invited to participate. The hearing is open to the public. Specific questions can be forwarded to Senator Meier for consideration.

"We will continue to seek answers about the power line," Seward said. "We have established that the line will increase our electric rates, scar our landscape, and that it will benefit everyone but the people who own the farms, yards and hills across which they want to drape their Frankenstein towers."

"At the last hearing we gained some important answers from NYRI. Under questioning, NYRI officials admitted their company considered no other alternatives to down state power needs, such as conservation or additional generating capacity. They also admitted that savings would only go to people who live below the lower Hudson Valley and that, in fact, our part of the state would pay $166 million dollars each and every year in increased electricity costs," Meier said. "These are important points and in this next hearing I also hope to develop further evidence on health concerns, the impact on local communities, and on the overall power distribution system," he continued.

Those who wish to submit written testimony to the committee may do so by forwarding their comments, in hard copy, to: Hon. James Wright, Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, State Senate, Albany, N.Y. 12247.

Testimony from the previous hearing held in Norwich can be obtained by going to the New York State Senate Web site at www.senate.state.ny.us and clicking on the link called "Senate Reports."

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