Time line of New York Regional Interconnect power line developments.
2003: NYRI project is conceptualized and takes form as the Pegasus project.
2005: August 8 – The 2005 federal Energy Policy Act is passed, giving the federal government the power to create National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC); opening the door for private power line projects like that of New York Regional Interconnect Inc., a subsidiary of Canadian energy developers.
2006:
• March 6 – NYRI requests from the U.S. DOE that their project area be given status as an NIETC.
• March 30 – NYRI publicly announces project plans to erect a roughly 200-mile-long, 400,000 volt transmission line through eight upstate counties, including 44 miles of Chenango.
• April 4 – NYRI’s plans, consisting of two possible routes that end downstate in Orange County, are first reported by most local media agencies.
• May 6 – NYRI holds first public meeting in New Windsor. Police were called after the crowd expressed anger regarding the meeting’s “divide and conquer” format and a lack of information.
• May 11 – Hundreds of concerned citizens are turned away from a NYRI-run public information meeting at the Norwich High School. Over 1,000 people showed up, and many left saying NYRI officials avoided answering their questions.
• May 31 – NYRI submits an Article VII power line application with the New York state Public Service Commission, the state’s power line review authority.