NORWICH – An electrical power line project that would have placed 115-foot steel towers about every 750 feet through six townships in Chenango County received a final death blow last week.

The United States Court of Appeals determined that the private, Albany-based company, New York Regional Interconnect, could not rely on a U.S. Department of Energy congestion study and subsequent corridor designation to support its project.

Even though NYRI had formerly canceled its plans during a federal hearing in 2009, a lawsuit was filed against the DOE in 2007.

The court determined that the DOE failed to properly consult with the affected states in conducting its study and failed to undertake any environmental review for its corridor designation as required by the National Environmental Policy Act.