Site Menu
Fundraising Effort: The $46K Campaign
Be A Part of the Solution!

JOIN US!

JOIN THE STOPNYRI
E-MAIL LIST

To subscribe and receive occassional updates on our progress, click this link or send an e-mail including your e-mail address and request for subscription to:
cehoffmanATfrontiernet.net (replace "AT" with
the "@" sign).


Town TeamsSTOP
NYRI
Town Teams

If you have a question or wish to join and volunteer your time, contact:
(in email addresses, replace
"AT" with
the "@" sign)

Hamilton:
Debby Zahn
315.750.6590
zahnzooATyahoo.com

Hubbardsville & Brookfield:
Jane Pinchin
315.691.2936
jpinchinATmail.colgate.edu

Earlville & Poolville:
Carol Smith
691-9557
csmithATmail.colgate.edu

Sherburne:
Cindy Carter
607.373.9202
cazcarterATpobox.com

Columbus:
Silke Mahardy
607.674.2017
silkemahardyAThotmail.com

Norwich:
Christine Brunner
607.334.6095
c_brunnerATroadrunner.com


Help STOP NYRI!


Who is NYRI?
New York Regional Interconnect (NYRI - www.nyri.us)
is a privately held company which plans to run 200 miles of high-voltage power lines through our countryside, our towns and our homes.

Who are the NYRI officers and representatives?

How tall are the towers?

Who will be impacted by the powerlines?

Who else is
OPPOSED to NYRI?

Which legislators stand against NYRI?

What can I do to help fight NYRI?

Who's Behind STOP NYRI, Inc.?

For more answers to your questions, here is an introduction and progress report.


NO-NYRI
on the Web

Radio Free Hamilton
Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition
SayNo2NYRI
Upstate NY Citizens Alliance

Blogs
Stop the Powerlines


Who's Behind www.NYRI.info?

NYRI.info represents STOP NYRI, Inc., a group of citizens from Madison and Chenango Counties dedicated to stopping the NYRI powerline project. The site is constantly being updated with the information provided by the group and sent in by other public contributors. Thank you for all of your support.

The STOP NYRI, Inc. team is:
Co-chairs: Eve Ann Shwartz
and Chris Rossi
Liason to CARI: Eve Ann Shwartz
Fundraising Rep:Susan Tallman
PR Rep: Steve Skollar
Treasurer: Phil Leinbach

Kurt Reymers is the creator and administrator of NYRI.info. He is a professor of sociology and anthropology and enjoys skiing and walking his dog frequently along the railroad tracks that would feature the proposed lines.

| Glossary | Articles |

Who Stopped NYRI? Click here for the results of the research survey (PDF 421 KB)


STOPNYRI FERC Update
19 October 2009

FERC's most recent decision on October 16 to deny yet another NYRI appeal is a very significant and positive decision.  Central New York landowners, residents, farmers, and businesses can be exeedingly grateful for the continued work of the STOP NYRI team, Congressman Arcuri, and Representative Hinchey.  

All of us CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER in a vigilant watch over NYRI's ongoing attempts to "have their way with Upstate residents."  

Should you be inclined to do so, please feel free to write, call or, email both Arccuri and Hinchey (contact info below) and  let them know you appreciate their efforts.  


Congressman Michael Arcuri:

Washington Office:   202-225-3665
Utica Office  • 10 Broad St, Room 330 • Utica, NY 13501 • Ph: (315)793-8146 • Fax: (315)798-4099
Cortland Office  • 16 Church St., Carriage House R. • Cortland, NY, 13045 • Ph: (607)756-2470 • Fax: (607)756-2472  
Web Form Email:    http://forms.house.gov/arcuri/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

New York's 24th Congressional District:   New York's 24th Congressional District encompasses all, or part of, eleven counties in Upstate New York:  Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Oneida, Ontario, Otsego, Seneca, Tioga, and Tompkins, including the cities of Utica, Rome, Auburn, Geneva, Norwich, Little Falls, Oneonta, and Cortland.  The 24 th  Congressional District lies in the heart of New York State and is comprised of four main regions: The Adirondack Region, The Southern Tier Region, The Mohawk Valey Region, and the Finger Lakes Region.   


Representative Maurice Hinchey:

Represents New York's 22nd Congressional District  in the U.S. House of Representatives, including the counties of Broome, Delaware, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, and Ulster.  Representatve Hinchey's Web Form Email is  http://www.house.gov/hinchey/zipauth.shtml .   He can also be contacted thru any of the following offices:

Washington Office:   Office of Rep. Hinchey, 2431 Rayburn H.O.B., Washington, DC 20515 -- Phone: (202) 225-6335 -- Fax: (202) 226-0774
Middletown Office:  Office of Rep. Hinchey, City Hall, Third Floor, 16 James St., Middletown, NY 10940 -- Phone: (845) 344-3211 
Binghamton Office:   Office of Rep. Hinchey, 100A Federal Building, Binghamton, NY 13901 -- Phone: (607) 773-2768
Kingston Office:  Office of Rep. Hinchey, 291 Wall Street, Kingston, NY 12401  -- Phone: (845) 331-4466
Ithaca Office:   Office of Rep Hinchey, 123 S. Cayuga St. #201, Ithaca, NY 14850 -- Phone: (607) 273-1388
Monticello Office:   Office of Rep. Hinchey, 18 Anawana Lake Road, Monticello, NY 12701 -- Phone: (845) 791-7116


STOPNYRI Legislative Update
1 September 2009

Published on New York State Senate (http://www.nysenate.gov)

Valesky-sponsored new law will help communities fight future projects like NYRI
By David J. Valesky
Created 09/01/2009 - 10:19am

SYRACUSE, N.Y. —To help prevent projects like New York Regional Interconnect (NYRI) that could decimate Upstate communities against the will of local people, State Senator David J. Valesky (D-Oneida) and Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito (D/WF-Rome) sponsored legislation  signed into law this week that will make financial resources available to communities to make their voices heard. 

The legislation (S1599) resulted from the community outcry and subsequent defeat of the New York Regional Interconnect (NYRI) project in Oneida and Madison Counties.

“Though the communities in Central New York have been successful in defeating the NYRI project, we learned that it required substantial financial resources to do so.” Senator Valesky, Vice President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, said. “NYRI was a horrible idea from the start, and yet it was up to the impacted communities to fight against the plans of a multi-million dollar firm.” 

“Citizens from the Mohawk Valley and other areas along the proposed route of NYRI were forced, using property taxpayer dollars, to fight against having a power line constructed through their communities which would have adversely affected the environment and hurt their property values without any beneficial impacts on local electric rates,”  Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito (D/WF-Rome) said.  "This new law by Senator Valesky and myself will provide some fairness to the process involving major electric transmission facility proposals by giving host communities the resources to intervene effectively so that their voices are fully heard.”

While Valesky, Destito and legislative colleagues worked together over the past few years with local communities to help fund the defeat of the NYRI-proposal, many involved in the anti-NYRI movement argued that a more predictable funding source needed to be established to defeat future proposals that could be equally detrimental to Upstate communities.    

Under the new Valesky and Destito-sponsored law, revenues from application fees from each proposed project, up to $450,000, will be put in an account called an intervenor fund which is designated for municipalities and citizen groups for costs associated with expert witnesses, consultants, and administrative and legal fees.   In the past, the burden to raise funds to ensure communities and residents had a strong voice in the process fell to citizens and private sources.  “This law will level the playing field and give residents a significant voice in energy policy decisions that affect their everyday lives,” Senator Valesky said. 


STOPNYRI Update
7 July 2009

Friends,

Although New York Regional Interconnect has officially withdrawn from the Public Service Commission process, STOP NYRI has found several reasons to stay on the case.

Unfortunately, NYRI’s investors are still actively pursing the project at the federal level. NYRI continues to appeal to FERC for reconsideration on their rulings about rate setting. We have great support from Hinchey, Hall, Arcuri, and Schumer who all oppose this action. Please see the article that is pasted below for details.

Recent federal energy legislation, if passed, would leave our region vulnerable to another NYRI-type project. STOP NYRI is working with our representatives to oppose the passage of this federal legislation or amend it to lessen the impact. We will be contacting Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and continuing to work with Congressman Arcuri on these issues. In addition, the 4th District Court's decision limiting FERC's authority to push through transmission projects is in peril of being overturned. We are monitoring this case and hoping for continued participation by our Attorney General.

Finally, STOP NYRI is monitoring the actions of our county and state representatives to ensure that they fulfill their financial commitments to the CARI coalition.

Together, we made a difference. However, the work is not over! Let’s make sure we do not have to deal with another NYRI in future. Concerned citizens are urged to stay tuned and stay involved. We will be in touch with news and action to take.

Thanks,
Chris Rossi and Eve Ann Shwartz

Co-chairs STOP NYRI


Hinchey, Arcuri & Hall Urge FERC to Deny NYRI's Request for Ratepayer Subsidies
7 July 2009
News Channel 34

Washington, DC -- U.S. Representatives Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Michael A. Arcuri (D-NY), and John Hall (D-NY) today urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to deny a request by New York Regional Interconnect, Inc. (NYRI) that would pave the way for NYRI to receive special ratepayer subsidies for its suspended power line proposal. NYRI is appealing a previous FERC ruling that refused to overturn the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) voting provision, which effectively blocks NYRI from receiving ratepayer subsidies for its proposal. The company suspended its pending application with the New York Public Service Commission following that decision, citing the fact that without ratepayer subsidies, the project was not economically viable.

In the joint letter to FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, Hinchey, Arcuri, and Hall reiterated their longtime and vehement opposition to NYRI's proposal for a 190-mile high voltage direct current (HVDC) electric transmission line. The proposed line would stretch through eight counties in upstate New York, including environmentally-sensitive areas, and require the seizing of private property for construction.


The full text of the letter from Hinchey, Arcuri, and Hall follows:

July 7, 2009

The Honorable Jon Wellinghoff
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20426

Dear Chairman Wellinghoff:

We are writing to convey our deep concerns with the ongoing efforts of New York Regional Interconnect, Inc. (NYRI) to seek special rate recovery treatment for its suspended electricity transmission proposal in New York State.

We remain steadfastly opposed to NYRI's continued efforts to entitle its company to full recovery of its revenue requirement through the New York Independent System Operator's (NYISO) cost allocation provisions. Further, we support the Commission's prior decisions declining to overturn the NYISO's supermajority voting provision and urge the Commission to dismiss NYRI's most recent protest of the May 19, 2009 filing.

As you know, the Commission recently granted NYRI an extension until July 9, 2009 to file comments regarding the May 19, 2009 compliance filing. In this May filing and a prior order in October 2008, the Commission rightly rejected NYRI's request to overturn the NYISO's policy in regard to cost allocation provisions and its supermajority voting provision.

Despite these prior rejections and the suspension of its application to the New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC) in April 2009, NYRI continues to solicit a more favorable order that might allow its failed project to attract needed investment and restart its application with the NYPSC.

Previously, the Commission correctly rejected NYRI's assertion that transmission projects cannot be funded outside of NYISO's cost allocation process had no merit and were "speculative." We appreciate the Commission's prior positions in this matter and hope that the Commission will continue to dismiss NYRI's disingenuous attempts to obtain undue consideration for their poorly conceived proposal, which is widely and vehemently opposed throughout New York State.


April 3, 2009
NYRI GIVES UP!

"Today NYRI announced that they are withdrawing their application from the Public Service Committee.

The PSC Judge ordered NYRI to submit a letter of withdrawal on Monday and gave the parties one week to respond.  The NYS PSC Secretary will make a statement of the withdrawal a week from Monday.  No more hearings or testimonies are scheduled. The PSC Judge also told NYRI that if they wanted to reapply they would have to start from scratch.

IN SHORT WE HAVE WON!

According to NYRI's own statement, the final blow was an unfavorable ruling handed down by FERC on March 31 stating that the developers could not recover costs from ratepayers, thus making the entire project "an unacceptable risk to their investors."  That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Our hard work for the last three years has all been worthwhile!

Thank each and every one of you!"

Chris Rossi & Eve Ann Shwartz
STOPNYRI Co-Chairs

April 7: Senator Schumer supports STOPNYRI
- advances legislation to prevent another NYRI.

See the story here.


Thank you to ALL of
our committed volunteers!

Without YOU this could not have happened!

Particular gratitude goes to our tireless
co-leaders Chris Rossi and EveAnn Shwartz!

...


March 16 - APRIL 3:
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
EVIDENTIARY HEARINGS

(on next page, click on "New York State Public Service Commission")

The Public Service Commission hearings have begun. It is important for us to show a strong presence and we urge as many of you to attend as possible.

These are evidentiary court hearings and are not an opportunity for public comment as with the local hearings. The usual sequence for these hearings is the presentation of an applicant's (NYRI’s) direct case, cross-examination of an applicant's witnesses by the parties, the presentation of the Department's staff and other parties' testimony on issues in the case, and the cross-examination of the rebuttal testimony by the parties.

Communities Against Regional Interconnect

Read CARI's Daily Updates on the Evidentiary Hearings

Listed below are dates that we believe will be significant.

STOP NYRI will had a contingency on opening day, Monday the 16th. CLICK HERE FOR A RECAP OF THAT MEETING. We expect to set another carpool date late in March and will post a notice once we have a firm date. We are also happy to help coordinate carpools any other time during the sessions. Just let us know when you are going and we will try and connect you with another attendee.

1. The hearings started on March 16 and will last through April 24 (except for April 7 - 10). Other than the first day of the hearings, the start time is 9:30am. The hearings will continue each day until about 5 or 6 p.m. The location of the hearings is: Three Empire State Plaza, 19th Floor Boardroom, Albany, New York. Please check Mapquest or another site for directions. It takes almost exactly two hours to drive there. There is some parking available in the Empire Plaza complex and nearby.

2. VERY GENERALLY, The most important days to attend are:

- Monday, March 16 through Wednesday, March 18 -- NYRI's witnesses will testify.
- Monday, March 23 through Friday, March 26 -- CARI's, DPS' and NYRI's witnesses
- Monday, March 30 -- NYRI's witnesses
- Wednesday, April 1 and Friday, April 3 -- DPS' and NYRI's witnesses
- Tuesday, April 14 and Wednesday, April 15 -- CARI's and DPS' witnesses

3. However, you should feel free to attend whenever you can. It is extremely important that we have as constant a presence as possible at the hearings. Please wear your STOP NYRI t-shirt and or buttons. DO NOT SPEAK DURING THE PROCEEDINGS unless you are a witness and are called to the stand. This is a formal proceeding: there should be no outbursts or demonstrations of approval or disapproval of any kind. Please represent us with dignity, no matter what you hear during the hearings.

4. In addition, the hearings will be webcast at http://www.NewYorkAdmin.com ( click on New York State Public Service Commission)

STOP NYRI/CARI Press Releases:

U.S. Court of Appeals Ruling Favors Opponents of NIETC and NYRI Project!

STOP NYRI's legal team at Communities Against Regional Interconnect (CARI), along with New York State as represented by the Attorney General's Office and our own New York Public ServiceCommision working with other states in the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC), have scored a significant victory in the fight against NYRI.  

As stated in the court ruling, "FERC will not have permitting authority when a state has affirmatively denied a permit application within the one year deadline."

This cripples NYRI's ability to depend on the federal government pushing their project through if the PSC denies the project.

Read CARI's press release here. (pdf) Read the Utica O-D article about the ruling. (web) Read the U.S. Court of Appeals ruling here. (pdf)

Helpful Documents:

C.A.R.I. guide

STOPNYRI guide

STOPNYRI brochure

What is Threatened?

Our Land and Our History


Who is CARI? CARI Website
Click here to read about CARI's
significant progress to date...
(MSWORD 50KB)

CARI fights NIETC's...read more on their
"FInal" Comments on NIETC (PDF 455KB) and their
Request For Rehearing (PDF 109KB)

MACCEC
The fight grows bigger yet - STOPNYRI is now a part of a national group fighting NIETCs called the
Mid-Atlantic Concerned Citizens Energy Coalition
(MACCEC).


THE STOPNYRI
WHITE PAPERS
Our answers to the claims of NYRI



August 27, 2008:
NYRI APPLICATION ACCEPTED BY STATE AS COMPLETE
(But the Proposed Powerline has NOT YET been approved!)

Read our press release

WARNING! After private Canadian corporation NYRI has had their application rejected THREE TIMES by the NYS Public Service Commission (PSC), it has only now been accepted.

IMPORTANT! This does NOT mean that the line has been PERMITTED! Only the APPLICATION has been approved, NOT the POWERLINE itself!

Read more at the Utica Observer Dispatch website...


Need To Contact
Your Leaders?

- or Use These Links -

STOPNYRI's MISSION:
STOP NYRI is a diverse and growing coalition of citizens from Madison and Chenango counties. We are committed to fighting the New York Regional Interconnect, Inc. 400,000 volt power line project. Our goal is to educate and inform our citizens, as well as state and local officials, about the numerous negative impacts of this project. Our intent is to take all legal and political action necessary to stop NYRI.

BLOG - Stop The Powerlines

NIETC
(National Energy Corridors)

2007 Dec 4: DOE Contemplates NIETC Rehearing Demand...

2007 Oct 2: NIETC "Red Zones" are created (what are NIETCs?)

2008 Aug 27: NYRI's application accepted by PSC - the 1 YEAR TIME CLOCK BEGINS!

Over 60 organizations and groups nationwide have joined STOP NYRI and CARI in fighting the NIETC designation, including:

*     Southern Environmental Law Center
*     Piedmont Environmental Council
*     National Trust for Historic Preservation
*     Environmental Defense
*     The Wilderness Society
*     National Parks Conservation Association
*     Civil War Preservation Trust
*     Brandywine Conservancy
*     Fauquier County (VA)
*     Highlands Coalition
*     Lancaster County Conservancy (PA)
*     Pennsylvania Land Trust Association
*     Virginia Conservation Network
*     Communities Against Regional Interconnect
*     Delaware Nature Society
*     Natural Lands Trust (PA)
*     New Jersey Audubon Society
*     Forest Guardians (NM)
*     The California Wilderness Coalition
*     Western Resource Advocates
and more...


NIETCs stands for "National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors" and they are regions in the Northeast and Southwest United States whereby the Federal Electric Regulatory Commisson (FERC) will be granted "backstop authority" to allow private corporations the right of eminent domain (forced property sale). The NIETC were legislated by the Energy Act of 2005 section 1221(a).

STOPNYRI, Inc. Press Release:
DOE Designation
Not A Green Light for NYRI Project .



2008 Feb 1:
The Goverment Accountability Office (GAO) releases unbiased report (
pdf 584KB)
on NIETC and NYRI:

"A new report from the federal Government Accountability Office [GAO] supports the contention that New York Regional Interconnect's plan to run the line from the Oneida County town of Marcy south to Orange County would dramatically drive up the cost of power for the region's residents..."
- Syracuse.com


NYISO logo
NYISO
(New York Independent System Operator - the people that control New York's grid) releases study that shows
NO NEED for NYRI!
- Read the Norwich Evening Sun report (9/20/2007)
- Read the STOPNYRI Press Release (MS Word 67KB)
-
Read the NYISO Report (PDF 59 KB)

Democratic Practice or Land Grab?

There was a sham of a public comment period on this designation of power corridors from the end of April until the beginning of July 2007. Over 2,000 individuals and groups gave testimony, mostly against, the designation. More could have attended if the meetings were placed near the areas of real interest (the NYRI proposed corridor), if more advanced notice were given (two weeks notice was given for the New York meeting) and if it was not held in the middle of the week (the NY meeting was in the middle of Manhattan on a Wednesday).

Is a mere 60 days long enough to have a discussion about whether your property can be lawfully taken by a private corporation without New York State's say? Is JUSTICE and DEMOCRACY inherent in this process?

Read the Communities Against Regional Interconnect public comment document sent to the Department of Energy (PDF 465KB) - and to whom they were sent (MSWord 75KB).


Thousands of people have signed these petitions protesting the NYRI powerline proposal:

How will the powerlines effect everyday citizens?
Following are personal stories about potential victims of NYRI's proposed power of eminent domain:

American Dream, Derailed"We Are the 'Nothings' of
Central New York"
(PDF format, 259KB)


"American Dream...derailed"

"Rural Interrupted" (PDF format, 100KB)


UPCOMING
MEETINGS & EVENTS


Upcoming Meetings TBA.


STOP NYRI on Parade
(Summer 2008)

STOPNYRI on Parade

STOPNYRI on Parade

STOPNYRI on Parade

STOPNYRI on STOPNYRI on YouTube


Read up on our
Key Project Points

NYRI - Key Project Points


Who else wants to STOPNYRI?


Danger! Crossing Sign
Route 20, Sangerfield, NY



Transmission corridors make top 11 endangered historic places list for 2007


Will powerlines effect
your property value?
YouTube - Powerlines
(This is not an endorsement of HomePages.com)

Home Sweet Home?

STOPNYRI ARTICLES

The Country and the Grassroots:
Rural action for local control of energy policy and development

This is a working paper which examines the sociological issue of collective identity in rural social movements and presents an ethnographic study of a coalition of grassroots groups in central New York State, including STOP NYRI, Inc. The grassroots movement speaks to the socio-political questions of rural activism and democratic practice, citizen’s roles in scientific discourse and governmental policy-making, collective identity, and widely differing claims to expertise and knowledge of energy issues.

NYRI Moonrise

Does NYRI = Enron?

Understanding Energy "Congestion"
and Deregulated Electricity Markets:
Learning from Enron

Read this article to better understand electricity price congestion and the deregulated electricity market...and how NIETC corridors could create the next Enron!

Image from NYRI's website
(Images from NYRI's website)

NYRI is 'Greenwashing': The Reality Behind the Environmental Charade of Stewardship

Read this article to get a grasp on how NYRI's spin machine is making them out to be perhaps a little too environmentally friendly.

 

3/28/09 - More on NYRI's Green Lies
(from Communities Against Regional Interconnect )

STOP NYRI, Inc., ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Where We Stand; Where We’re Going

In these last very busy months, STOP NYRI, Inc. and the cohort of citizens organizations have accomplished a great deal. We have:

  • Informed, organized and energized the public;
  • Engaged elected officials and successfully moved all but a handful of them to our side of the issue;
  • Educated and motivated the local, regional and national media on the issue;
  • And, most importantly, demonstrated to NYRI that they are in for a difficult fight.

It’s helpful to count our accomplishments over the last year and a half:

  • You cannot drive down a main road in our region and not see anti-NYRI lawn signs;
  • The Night Without Lights on December 21, 2007 celebrating the winter solstice ;
  • A Power Line Bake Sale and Show at the Earlville Opera House gained great attention;
  • We created awareness and support with a movie night at Hamilton Theater;
  • Nichols & Beal held a benefit golf outing on our behalf;
  • More than 100 people turned out for our first rally in Sherburne on one of the rainiest days of the summer; our other rallies have been equally successful in motivating and educating local citizens;
  • National media have covered our efforts;
  • About 40 people had the opportunity to see inside Nine Mile Swamp because of the event we sponsored with Colgate and the Rogers Environmental Education Center;
  • We have had incredible public support of our FAX DAY outreach efforts to educate numerous state and federal elected and appointed officials;
  • Madison and Chenango counties have allocated money to fight the power line;
  • We helped convince the state Senate to spend money to fight the project;
  • STOP NYRI, Inc. and its members have testified at state Senate and Assembly hearings on the NYRI proposal;
  • Hamilton High Schools’ valedictorian denounced NYRI in his graduation speech;
  • Members have marched in local parades and many of those same people have staffed
  • information booths at the Chenango County Fair, Hamilton Fourth of July, Music Mix, Chenango Colorscape, Hamilton’s Farmers’ Market, the Sherburne Pageant of the Bands, Norwich Halloween Parade, and more;
  • Colgate University professors are teaching students about NYRI in their classes and a student group has organized against NYRI on campus;
  • STOP NYRI is a founding member of the Communities Against Regional Interconnect, a coaliton of four citizens' groups and eight NYS counties formed to use all available legal and political tools to defeat the project. The NYS Senate has allocated $1 million to support the work of this coalition.
  • Town Teams have formed to make our organization and our fight more effective and more efficient, and are able to reach more people.

Now what? We have busy days and much hard work ahead.

We need volunteers and support for:

  • Our efforts to take the fight to the Public Service Commission in Albany;
  • To ensure our voices are heard before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C.
  • To raise money –over $100,000 – for our legal defense fund;
    Continued public awareness efforts all along the proposed route’s path through Madison and Chenango counties;
  • Door-to-door information and fund raising efforts;
  • The remaining fight, which really has only begun.

From early on, many people have suggested nothing can be done to stop NYRI; that it is, as many say, “a done deal”. Nothing could be further from the truth. The hard work of our members has proved that sentiment to be wrong.We are fortunate to have had many events go our way thus far, but we cannot afford to think our work is done. STOP NYRI, Inc. does not believe in resting on its laurels, and neither will it shrink from the fight ahead. Too much is at stake.Every person who has signed a petition, staffed an information table, walked in the rain at a rally, bought a T shirt, put a bumper sticker on their car, attended a public meeting or government hearing has served their community and the fight against NYRI. We’re confident they will continue their dedication to the cause.

Thanks for all you have done
and all you will do!


Who's NYRI?


Read our informational brochure

Who's who behind NYRI?

Proof positive that NYRI's application is MISLEADING (to say the least).

What are the positions of our elected officials on NYRI? Read about it at STOPNYRI.com...

 


This is the Way Big Business Works:

A Utica Observer-Dispatch FOIA lawsuit gained disclosure of a deal between NYRI and the NY Susquehanna and Western railroad, clearly aimed at gaining the right-of-way (ROW) that is vital to their proposed line. NYRI is paying NYS&W $1.5 million over 5 years for the ROW. (In a classic doble-dipping strategy, the railroad, owned by Cooperstown magnate Walter Rich, is also getting tax breaks from county Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) in an effort to spur travel along the railroad.) More on the NYS&W at the website "Railroaded in Cooperstown"...


A NYRI news release claims that they are a "green," environmentally friendly company... The Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition , STOP NYRI, Inc., SayNo2NYRI and the Upstate NY Citizens Alliance dispute NYRI's claims. Those claims are misleading at best; at worst, they are dishonest .

Read this STOPNYRI, Inc. press release to find out why...

More Energy Info...

GUEST LECTURE SERIES
at COLGATE UNIVERSITY
sponsored by the
UPSTATE INSTITUTE

Human Health Effects of Electromagnetic Fields:
From Powerlines to Cell Phones
David O. Carpenter, M.D. , Director, Institute for Health and the Environment School of Public Health, University at Albany, SUNY

The Economics of Electricity Transmission
James Bushnell, Research Director of the University of California Energy Institute

The Renewable Energy Revolution
Daniel M. Kammen, Director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory at the University of California Berkeley

Click here to watch the video of these lectures online!



STOP NYRI in NYC

Protest of the DOE NIETC "Congestion Corridor" Designation in NYC, May 23, 2007

STOP NYRI in NYC STOP NYRI in NYC STOP NYRI in NYC STOP NYRI in NYC

AudioSelected testimony of local grassroots activists at the NYC DOE hearing:
- EveAnn Shwartz (1.1 MB)
- Michael Zahn (625 KB)
- Earl Callahan (960 KB)
- Ron Morrison (606 KB)
- Cindy Carter (682 KB)

Transcripts of all of the DOE public meetings (including NYC, May 23, 2007, and Rochester June 12, 2007) are available here.


How did the public react to the NYRI-held public meetings in May 2006?

May 6: New Windsor
The first NYRI meeting with the community, in New Windsor, NY, "began with shouts denouncing the meeting's format and ended with an accusation of 'corporate greed'. At one point, town Supervisor George Green threatened to clear the room and called two police officers to stand in the back." Read more...

May 8: Binghamton
The Binghamton meeting with NYRI executives was equally as uninformative as any of them. UDPC reps characterized it as "mistaken, misaligned, misleading, and misinformed." Read more...
Norwich Meeting Onlookers May 9: Utica
The meeting in Utica on May 9 was a sign of things to come... Utica Mayor Tim Julian led a walk out of most of the 150 or so people at the meeting. Check out the story on Channel 5 WTVH Syracuse...

May 11: Norwich High School
"Thursday night, about 150 people [of a total of approximately 800 attending] were turned away from the NYRI meeting in Norwich, including many from the Town of Hamilton. Just before traveling to Norwich, some of those Town of Hamilton residents spoke out against the proposed power line project during a Hamilton Town Board meeting. The board unanimously passed a resolution demanding a one-year moratorium on the project." (David Hollis, Radio Free Hamilton
). NYRI, Inc. has promised Norwich another meeting before they file at the NYS Public Service Commission, due to the fact that about 200 people were left out in the cold... will they live up to their word? UPDATE: NYRI spokesmen declared that the first Senate Hearing to which they were invited constituted their second visit to Norwich... even though that hearing allowed ONLY invited speakers to participate! Once again, NYRI misleads people!

May 18: Callicoon
The youth center in Callicoon, New York was filled to capacity with over 450 local residents opposed to the New York Regional Interconnect Project. NYRI continued to avoid direct questions. Some of those they did answer included:

  • Would you rule out the use of eminent domain? NYRI "No".I heard that if the route were approved you would have the authority to move it one way or another by 1/8 of a mile? NYRI, "Correct".
  • Will you be conducting economic impact studies to determine the economic impact of this area? NYRI: "No it is not required by the application process." Read More...



WHAT DOES "NYRI" STAND FOR?
A Glossary of Acronyms


THE COMPANY

NYRINew York Regional Interconnect Inc. is a privately financed corporation, meaning that it issues no public stock or annual report and is opaque to watchdogs. A privately financed corporation can’t declare eminent domain. They need the government to do it for them.

ACI American Consumer Industries — (Wilmington, DE) founded 1984 -- the holding company that owns 50% of NYRI, Inc., that in turn owns 100% of NYRI (Albany). It’s parent company is Canadian.


THE PROCESS

DOE — United States Department of Energy. Click here for a slick little Flash movie depicting their plans for energy distribution and transmission in the 21st century. Note the transmission of rural generation to urban consumption.

NIETCNational Interest Electrical Transmission Corridor. NYRI applied to the DOE for an “early designation as a NIETC” covering the railroad route.

NYPSCNew York Public Service Commission (also PSC). The state agency that can grant a privately owned company permission under Article VII to erect power lines and seize private land. If the PSC can’t decide what to do after one year...

NYISO New York Independent Service Operators. A nonprofit organization formed as part of the restructuring of New York State's electric power industry. Its mission is to operate the state's bulk electricity grid and administer New York's wholesale electricity markets.

FERC — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, FERC can choose a route within the designated corridor and declare eminent domain. Lawyers at FERC are often hired by Bracewell & Giuliani (yes, Rudy Giuliani) as a reward for good work at the FERC.

NERC North American Electric Reliability Council. NERC's mission is to ensure that the bulk electric system in North America is reliable, adequate and secure.

ERO Electric Reliability Organization. A U.S. self-regulatory body that spans North America, with FERC oversight. It assures that NERC standards are met by Canadian authorities as well.

EPRI Electrical Power Research Institute, established in 1973 as an independent, nonprofit center for public interest energy and environmental research. EPRI's leading experts work collaboratively on solutions to the challenges of electric power, spanning nearly every area of electricity generation, delivery, and use, including health, safety, and environment.

THE TECHNOLOGY

HVHigh voltage. NYRI’s cables will carry 400,000 volts each. There will be two cables per tower.

DCDirect current, as distinct from AC, (alternating current). Direct current uses less energy than AC to carry electricity over long distances.

THE RESISTANCE

CARI CARI stands for "Communities Against Regional Interconnect," a group that formed to represent the 8 counties which the line is proposed to run through, in addition to several of the citizen's action groups along the line, including STOP NYRI, Inc.

NYRI.info — The website you are on now, somewhat designed to mimic NYRIs fancy-pants flash-based website, but with some Real Information that you can sink your teeth into.

UDPC — The Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition. Based in Narrowsburg, NY. It is actively opposing NYRI and is another go-to place for information and updates.

STOP NYRI, Inc. — A group of committed citizens of Oneida, Madison, and Chenango counties who have come together to fight NYRI. This website represents this task force.

RFH Radio Free Hamilton, a website from Hamilton, NY, that is heavily focused on the fight against the powerlines.

MORE ACRONYMS

AEP - American Electric Power
ATC - Available Transfer Capability
BPA - Bonneville Power Administration
CAISO - California Independent System Operator
CREPC - Committee for Regional Electric Power Cooperation
EIA - U.S. Energy Information Administration
ERCOT - Electric Reliability Council of Texas
FACTS - Flexible AC transmission system
HTS - High-temperature superconductivity
HVDC - High-voltage direct current
IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
ISO - Independent System Operator
kV - Kilovolt
MWh - Megawatt hour
NARUC - National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
NASEO - National Association of State Energy Officials
NEPD - National Energy Police Develepment
NGC - National Grid Company
OASIS - Open Access Same Time Information System
PBR - Performance-based regulation
PCR - Price-cap regulation
PJM - Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland Interconnection
PMA - Power Maketing Administration
POEMS - Policy Office Electricity Modeling System
PUC - Public utility commission
R&D - Research and development
RTO - Regional Transmission Organization
SWPA - Southwestern Power Administration
TLR - Transmission Loading Relief
TTC - Total Transfer Capability
TVA - Tennessee Valley Authority
WAPA - Western Area Power Administration
WGA - Western Governor’s Associtation
WSCC - Western Systems Coordinating Council

Adapted from Lynn Phillips and Chris Rossi (thanks!)

 
Stop NYRI Power Lines





Information Maps and Photos Action Fundraising Email NYRI.info