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ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold a virtual public statement hearing followed by a procedural conference on Thursday, April 15, 2021, to receive comments concerning a petition filed by High Bridge Wind, LLC (High Bridge), seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Commission, under Section 68 of the Public Service Law.

 

If issued, the certificate would authorize High Bridge to construct and operate a proposed major wind farm. Construction and operation of the project would be subject to the terms and conditions of the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need that was issued by the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment on March 11, 2021.

 

High Bridge’s petition also asks that the Commission find and determine that High Bridge is entitled to lightened regulation as a wholesale electric generator.

 

The scope of Commission’s review of the Section 68 petition is narrow and focuses on questions involving the readiness and feasibility of High Bridge to begin project construction. As a result, this proceeding will not duplicate the public need and environmental compatibility issues that were previously considered and decided by the Siting Board.

 

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a virtual public statement hearing will be held before Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Erika Bergen, as follows:

 

DATE:Thursday, April 15, 2021

TIME:1:00 P.M.

 

Electronic Access: www.webex.com

Event Number: 129 926 3147

Password: April15-1pm

 

Phone-Only Access: (518) 549-0500

Access Code: 129 926 3147 

Any person wishing to provide a public statement on the record at the hearing must pre-register to do so by 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 13, 2021.

 

To register electronically: Participants who would like to provide a statement and will login to the hearing electronically may register to do so by visiting www.webex.com, where they should click “Join” at the top right-hand corner of the screen, enter the appropriate event number listed above, and provide all requested information.

 

When logging in to the hearing at the date and time noted above, participants will be asked to “select audio system.” It is recommended that participants opt to have the system “call me” or “call using computer.” The “call me” option will require participants to enter their phone numbers.

 

To register by phone: Any participant who is not able to login to the hearing electronically may participate by phone. Call-in participants wishing to provide a statement must register to do so in advance by calling 1-800-342-3330, where they should follow prompts to the hearing and provide the following information: first and last name, address, and phone number.

 

On the date and time of the hearing, all call-in users should dial 518-549-0500 and enter the relevant access code listed above.

 

The public statement hearing will be held open until everyone who has registered to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements to submit comments into the record have been made. Time limits may be set for each speaker, as necessary. It is recommended that lengthy comments be submitted in writing and summarized for oral presentation. A verbatim transcript of the public statement hearing will be made for inclusion in the record of this case.

 

Persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations should call the Department of Public Service’s Human Resources Management Office at 518-474-2520 as soon as possible. TDD users may request a sign language interpreter by placing a call through the New York Relay Service at 711. Individuals with difficulty understanding or reading English are encouraged to call the Department at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this notice.

 

Other Ways to Comment

 

Those who prefer not to present comments at the public statement hearing may provide comments in several other ways. Comments should refer to Case “20-E-0542.”

 

Internet or Mail: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, then click on “Search” and enter the case number, “20-E-0542” in the “Search by Case Number” field, and then click on “Post Comments” at the top right of the page; or send comments by email to the Secretary to the Commission at secretary@dps.ny.gov.

 

Alternatively, comments may be mailed to the Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350.

 

All written comments will become part of the record considered by the Commission and may be accessed on the Department of Public Service website by searching the case number, as described above, and clicking on the “Public Comments” tab.

 

Toll-Free Opinion Line: You may call the Commission’s Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120. This number is set up to take comments about pending cases from in-State callers, 24-hours a day. These comments are not transcribed verbatim, but a summary is provided to the Commission.

 

Please take further notice that a procedural conference will be held immediately following the public statement hearing, as part of the same teleconference.

 

The principal purposes of the procedural conference are to identify any potential parties and provide interested persons an opportunity to present and explain any proposals regarding the procedures they believe should be followed in this case by the ALJ and Commission including, but not limited to, whether any issues of fact presented by the petition or public comments warrant an evidentiary hearing. Other procedural issues also may be addressed.

From the NY State Publice Service Commission