Orange County Executive condemns National energy corridor designation

Goshen - Orange County Executive Edward A. Diana roundly condemned the decision by the United States Department of Energy’s designation of a “National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor.” “Make no mistake about it, this decision has nothing to do with national interests. This is the federal government catering to private interests, and trampling on the rights of the State of New York and Orange County. The decision to include Orange County and the other upstate counties in the national corridor has no basis in reality, or the law, and shamelessly ignores hundreds of substantive comments filed in opposition to this corridor designation,” Diana said. “We will continue to fight this designation and the proposed NYRI at the state and federal levels.” Orange County is a participating member of CARI, Communities Against Regional Interconnection, which is composed of the eight counties and five citizen groups that are opposing this project in New York State. Through its legal counsel, CARI has been actively involved in fighting this proposed NYRI power line for the past year and a half. CARI is reviewing the DOE decision with its attorneys and will soon decide whether to file a request for a rehearing on the re-designation. If that request is denied by the DOE, CARI will challenge the decision in federal court. CARI has already filed a challenge to the final rule issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, challenging the federal government’s jurisdiction over state electric facility siting decisions. For further information, contact Richard Mayfield in the County Executive’s Office at 845-291-2721.