Here's why Long Island needs Propel NY, ASAP

Long Islanders depend on a reliable and efficient electric grid, but right now the system is struggling to deliver on both counts — especially as temperatures soar and heatwaves continue to challenge our region. As someone who has had a career in the energy utility industry, I have seen firsthand the growing strain.

The good news is there is a solution nearing the permitting finish line — Propel NY Energy. This $3.26 billion project is a critical upgrade to a grid that is increasingly constrained, congested and under pressure from growing energy demand.

Yet too often, the conversation gets stuck in the wrong place. Instead of focusing on the long-term benefits — reliability and cost savings — the debate centers on temporary, short-term impacts.

Long Islanders fall into the same trap — recognizing the need for investments but resisting them when they reach our own communities. NIMBY thinking becomes the focus even though so much is at stake for all of us.

Yes, construction will bring temporary inconvenience. But those limited disruptions pale in comparison to the risks of inaction. As someone who lives along the route and will be directly impacted by construction, I recognize it is necessary and will deal with it.

With proper oversight, clear communication and advance notice and planning, construction can be properly managed to minimize disruption and ensure Long Island prospers.

Every crew I drive past will remind me of the jobs this project is creating and the families it is supporting. I won’t complain about an extra 10 minutes in the car if it means that our police and emergency services will have access to reliable power, that our hospitals aren’t relying on backup generators and that our businesses don’t need to question if and when outages are going to disrupt operations.

Propel is expected to cost ratepayers across New York State $2 per month. At a time when we’re all looking at our electric bills a little bit closer, this is a project that can help save Long Islanders money overall.

Electricity prices depend on supply, demand and the ability to efficiently deliver it. The more you need, but the less you can access, the more it will cost.

That was evident in June 2025 when several days of record heat resulted in Long Islanders paying more than double the cost of electricity compared with other parts of the state. The problem was delivery. Power generated from other regions couldn’t reach Long Island due to lack of transmission capacity and congestion on the grid.

Like a traffic jam on the Long Island Expressway, bottlenecks on the state’s electric grid block the flow of energy. This drives up costs, which are exacerbated during extreme weather or when demand spikes.

Propel will create additional “lanes” to relieve the congested downstate grid, allowing energy to flow more freely and economically.

A recent study evaluating the cost of this congestion over a 12-month period found that had the additional capacity from Propel been available, Long Island ratepayers collectively could have saved more than $100 million. That is real savings in Long Islanders’ pockets.

The project will also ensure system flexibility by providing greater access to energy available from other regions in New York. The more capacity the state’s grid operator has, the more affordable energy it can send to Long Island.

Long Islanders can’t afford to not have Propel in service as soon as possible.

This guest essay reflects the views of Bob Catell, chairman of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University.