Rep. Suozzi doesn't support Propel NY Energy power line through his district
Congressman Tom Suozzi, citing “legitimate concerns raised by local residents,” says he doesn’t support the Propel NY Energy high-voltage cable line. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, citing “legitimate concerns raised by local residents,” said he doesn’t support the Propel NY Energy high-voltage cable line that is slated to snake through his North Shore district by 2030.
In a statement to Newsday, Suozzi spokeswoman Lily Cohen said the proposal, currently awaiting final approval by the state Public Service Commission and permits from the Trump administration, doesn’t address concerns raised by local citizens in the three years since it was first proposed by the New York Power Authority and private developer, New York Transco.
The $3.26 billion, 90-mile cable, primarily of 345,000 volts, will snake from western Suffolk and across Nassau to Queens, the Bronx and Westchester, with portions under Hempstead Harbor and Long Island Sound.
Suozzi, a Democrat, doesn’t have the power to make major decisions about the state-controlled project, which is strongly endorsed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and many local Democrats. Constituents at a rally last week in opposition to the project had raised questions about why Suozzi and other lawmakers hadn’t taken a clear stand on the project.
A spokeswoman for NYPA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Suozzi’s concerns include that the cable fails to protect “harbors that the community and he have worked so hard to restore; the impacts on surrounding neighborhoods and businesses, and whether reasonable alternative routes have been fully considered," his spokeswoman wrote.
“After listening closely to community members, Congressman Suozzi opposes the proposal in its current form because too many critical questions remain unanswered and too many potential impacts have yet to be fully evaluated,” Cohen wrote.
Suozzi isn’t alone in voicing concerns. As Newsday reported last week, all three school districts along the proposed route of the 90-mile cable have filed formal papers opposing the project as it undergoes the final stages of a state review process known as Article VII.
The North Shore Central School District, Roslyn Union Free School District and the Syosset Central School District each took issue with traffic, health and safety concerns and the general lack of support for a joint proposal for the project by entities other than state agencies.
Many local residents have strongly opposed the project and its potential impacts on traffic, businesses and health. Construction unions and environmental groups support it, citing jobs and its potential to ease green-energy transmission, though its intended purpose as primarily a wind-power export line off Long Island has been impacted by Trump's opposition to the green-energy industry.
Last week, two Hempstead Harbor conservation groups weighed in with concerns about the project, and one, the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, filed statements saying it "cannot support" the recent joint proposal.
One resident at the rally last week applauded Suozzi's stance in opposition tot he project but said he hoped for more.
"Let’s see where it goes," said Vincent Suraci, a Glenwood Landing resident whose home sits 40 feet from where three 345,000-volt cables are scheduled to be laid. "What next steps will Suozzi take to put a halt to this project and ensure the health and safety of the environment and residents?"
Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries.
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