Project Purpose and Need:

Transmission Lines 963 and 978 are 115kV lines located in NYSEG’s Elmira Division. Both lines utilize the same steel towers. The lines travel 16.2 miles and connect the existing Montour Falls Substation to the Ridge Road Substation and the Hillside Substation. Additionally, Line 963 also feeds power to the Yawger Road Substation, to the West from Ridge Road.

The assets are beyond their useful lives. For reference, the average age of the conductor on these lines is roughly 80 years old and the lattice towers are approximately 68 years old.

Upgrade Project Scope Includes:

CSTE will include replacement of the lines with upgraded conductors built on light duty steel monopoles. The lines will be built on an offset, to minimize any outages. This upgrade will result in significant increase in the rating of the lines and addresses asset condition concerns, deliverability constraints, and creates additional headroom for energy transmission in the grid.

Regional benefits include:

• Consists of "Local” Transmission System upgrades required to support New York’s energy goals.
• The Project would remove bottlenecks on the local transmission system and allow existing and projected future generation facilities to connect to the power grid.
• The Project would generate numerous ancillary economic benefits to our community partners.
• The most direct infusion to the local economy would come from employment opportunities associated with construction of the Project and of future generation facilities. Worker income would be spent in local communities on consumer goods and services such as housing, healthcare, and food, while property taxes would directly support the communities in which the Project and future renewable generation facilities are located.
• The Project is needed for NYSEG to continue to ensure electric generation deliverability and capacity throughout its Hornell and Elmira Divisions. The project also upgrades assets that are near the end of their useful life.

NYSEG is actively developing the Project to avoid and minimize negative impacts to the community and the environment. Early Project planning efforts have included the completion of resource assessments to clarify important planning considerations such as streams and wetlands; soil characteristics; cultural resources; and sensitive plant and animal species. Active regulatory coordination, reviews and permitting efforts are under way for initial phases of the Project. NYSEG will seek reviews, consultations and/or permits from the following federal and state administrative agencies for the Project:

• NYS Public Service Commission
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Federal Aviation Administration
• NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
• NYS Department of Transportation
• Other permits as may be necessary