Hudson Valley Times-Herald Record Reporter Steve Israel recently interviewed Chris Thompson, President and CEO of New York Regional Interconnect on their project to run wires fro Ohio to New York City by way of several villages and towns although other viable options were available. The company is also fighting citizens groups and some grandstanding politicians on this issue. Reading the interview, one might think that Thompson was always concerned about the ramifications of the proposed route without looking for alternatives. Some history and some reading into the interview would prove the opposite.
When the NYRO project was first unveiled, the understanding was that significant amounts of unused power in the midwest can be channeled to the New York Metropolitan and surrounding region, where it would soon be in short supply relative to the population. Rather than building more plants in crowded area, it would be logical to wire in existing unused energy. The route, however, was the problem: the people who Thompson arrogantly calls "NIMBY's" were concerned over more than just big power lines. With the NYRI project would come lines that would slice villages in half and run through residential property, heavily knocking down property values. In addition, while the energy would benefit New York City, it would be the very residents who would have to deal with the structure who would have to foot the bill with higher utility costs (along with the price hike already looming at the time).
Some politicians made the fight a huge political issue. State Senator John Bonacic, who voters have barely hears a "peep" from over most of his tenure, screamed "No NYRI, No NYRI" to gain media face-time and win favor with the voters. It was no matter to him to help come up with alternative solutions to an inevitable project (see: current abuse of eminent domain case Kelo v. New London) without offering alternatives. Bonacic's opponent, Susan Zimet, brought up with two feasible routes to install the NYRI project where any aesthetic and economic damage would be minimized: the Thruway and New Jersey Corridors. Although Bonacic called Zimet "uninformed" on a local cable TV news program, those are the alternatives Thompson is finally exploring.
During the 2006 election cycle, Bonacic's only accomplishment was earmarking one million dollars for lawyers to fight NYRI. I doubt when he called Zimet "uninformed" about the situation that he understood that Congresswoman and fellow Republican Sue Kelly had already been on the case at the federal level a few months ago. She tried to keep NYRI from using the eminent domain provisions allowed in that legislation for that route.
It should also be noted that Thompson was somewhat evasive with Israel's questioning of him on issues such as burying the lines and if they are seeking alternatives in good faith rather than offering the proverbial "lip service." He conveniently placed the onus on the Public Service Commission for the final decision.
In truth, America's heavily-populated areas are going to need more power in the future and planners should be commended for at least having such foresight to pump some more energy in before a crisis strikes. Unfortunately, they forgot that real people were living in the "flyover territory" where the power lines have to go and that there are serious economic ramifications that could be minimized with a little compromise.
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