Public Service Commission
Public Statement Hearing
Informational Forum
August 4, 2014
Project Team
 Cricket Valley Energy (CVE)
– Developer of Cricket Valley Energy Center, a fully
permitted $1.4 billion natural gas-fueled,
high-efficiency, combined-cycle power generation
facility in the Town of Dover/Dutchess County
– Subsidiary of Advanced Power, NA
 Epsilon Associates, Inc.
– Project environmental consultant
 DiGioia Gray & Associates
– Project engineer
 Arch Street Communications
– Public information and outreach
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Agenda
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Project Overview
Location
Scope
Objectives
Design
Hypothetical Alternative Route
Simulated Views
Article VII Review Steps
Construction
Public Involvement
Topics of Interest
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Project Overview
 CVE has been required by New York Independent System
Operator (NYISO) to increase transmission capacity,
redundancy, and operational capabilities by funding and
installing a transmission line in the existing 14.6-mile
Right-of-Way (ROW) between CVE in Dover and the
Con Edison substation in Pleasant Valley. CVE will also
reconductor a 3.4-mile segment of the existing
transmission line in the same ROW between the CVE
substation and the NY-CT state line.
 NOT part of any of the following transmission line
projects: NY Transco Edic to Pleasant Valley;
NEXTERA New Scotland to Pleasant Valley; North
American Transmission; or Boundless Energy
Transmission.
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Project Location
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Project Scope
 Install a new 14.6-mile 345 kV transmission line within the
existing Con Edison ROW between CVE in Dover and
Con Edison substation in Pleasant Valley
 Re-conductor existing line #398 between the Project site
the NY/CT border
 Upgrade the Pleasant Valley substation (within existing
footprint) protection and communication infrastructure
 Prioritize local labor for the Project
 Average 40-60 workers for line construction
 Approximately 20 worker crew for re-conductoring
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Project Objectives
 Ensure the reliability, stability, operability, and transfer
limits of the transmission system are maintained with the
connection to Cricket Valley Energy Center
 Ensure minimal disruption to the environment and
neighboring communities by locating the new transmission
line inside the existing 250-foot-wide Con Edison ROW
 Privately fund the $55 million infrastructure investment
 Transfer ownership to Con Edison upon completion
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Project Design
 New line:
 State-of-the-art steel monopoles
 Delta configuration
 Generally follows current spacing of existing lattice towers
 New conductors:
 Bundled, “Mallard” Aluminum Conductor Steel-Supported
(ACSS) cables
 Selected for rating/line capacity, cost, line losses and other
performance factors
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Design Considerations
 ROW land-use and environmental-base mapping in
accordance with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation policies
 Field surveys and time-of-year restrictions for protected
and sensitive species
 Invasive species, archaeological, and historic surveys
 Wetlands delineation with location adjustments to avoid
wetlands and other sensitive areas
 Community input
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Hypothetical Alternative Route
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Hypothetical Alternative Route
 Central Hudson 115 kV
 Significant impact to property owners
 Requires 7 miles of new transmission right-of-way
 Significant environmental impacts
 Swamp River
 Habitat, natural environment, wetland
 Requires 20-mile line vs. 14.6-mile line
 Requires 13 miles of expansion of the Central Hudson
ROW to accommodate 345 kV line
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Simulated View
Town of Dover
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Simulated View
Town of LaGrange
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Simulated View
Town of Union Vale
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Simulated View
Town of Pleasant Valley
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Simulated View-Taconic Pky
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Article VII Review Steps
 December 30, 2013: submission of Article VII application;
copies distributed to area libraries
 August 4, 2014: Public Statement Hearing in project area
 Development of joint proposal: Public Service Commission
(PSC) staff with input from interested parties
 Recommendations by Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)
 PSC Hearing and Determination in Albany
 Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need
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Construction
 Total expected timeframe for Project completion: 13-24
months
 Construction activity for each structure is estimated to last
approximately 2 weeks
 Pre-Construction Steps:
 Environmental Management and Construction Plan
approved by Department of Public Service (DPS)
 Manage ROW in accordance with Con Edison’s Vegetation
Management Plan (VMP)
 Finalize survey to identify sensitive areas, clearing areas,
and structure locations
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Construction Process
 Construction Steps:
 Establish laydown/staging areas—one primary area +/- 20
acres; additional storage areas, 2-3 acres each
 Place construction matting where required for temporary
access across wetlands
 Establish structure foundations (rock anchors, rock micropiles, conventional)
 Set structures; install davits, insulators, and stringing blocks;
string conductors
 Re-grade and restore
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Public Involvement to Date
 December 2013
 Public/Legal notices, Poughkeepsie Journal
 Letters to Town Supervisors, County Executive
 Letters to property owners abutting ROW
 March 2014:
 Launched CricketValleyTransmission.com
 Published Winter Issue, CVE Update Newsletter, distributed
6785 copies
 Posted Public Involvement Plan on website
 Launched email subscription sign up—now more than 350
subscribers
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Public Involvement to Date
 May/June 2014:
 Presentation to Town Boards—Dover, Pleasant Valley,
LaGrange, Union Vale
 Held 4 public information meetings—Dover, Pleasant Valley,
LaGrange, Union Vale
 Promoted via website, postcards, press release, posters,
advertisement, posting on town websites
 August 2014
 Two Advisory Working Groups scheduled:
 August 26 - Community Outreach Office,
Dover Plains, NY
 August 27 - Pleasant Valley Town Hall
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Public Involvement Media
 Media outreach:
- Hudson Valley Business
Journal
- Hudson Valley Press
- Hudson Valley Reporter
- Mid Hudson News
- Northern Dutchess News
- Southern Dutchess News
- Poughkeepsie Journal
- Putnam County News
- Harlem Valley News
- Millbrook Independent
- Millerton News
- WAMC Radio
Advertisements
- Poughkeepsie Journal
- Northern Dutchess News
- Southern Dutchess News
- The Millbrook
Independent
- Hudson Valley News
- PennySaver
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Topics of interest
Pole Height
 Reviewing design to reduce height of new monopoles
Electric and Magnetic Field (EMF)
 Within or below state and federal standards
Underground Transmission Lines
 Study for this project showed:
– Burying a 345 kV transmission line would have a significant
environmental impact
– Blasting would be required
– Additional above ground structures would be needed that would
exceed the boundaries of the ROW
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