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RAPID Act: Capital Region In-Person Public Hearings, 1pm and 5pm

February
18
2025
1:00
PM
In Person

Hudson Valley Community College, Bulmer Telecommunications Center, Meeting Rooms 1,2, and 3
80 Vandenburgh Avenue
Troy, NY 12180
United States

RAPID Act: Capital Region In-Person Public Hearings, 1pm and 5pm

Hearing Information

In-person public comments hearings on the proposed Renewable Action Through Project Interconnection and Deployment (RAPID) Act rulemaking and draft generic environmental impact statement (DGEIS) will be held as follows: 

Region: Capital Region 
Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025 
Time: 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm 
Location: Hudson Valley Community College, Bulmer Telecommunications Center 
80 Vandenburgh Ave. 
Troy, NY 12180 

To ensure that all interested persons have an opportunity to speak, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) may limit the time available for oral comments to three (3) minutes per person. It is recommended that lengthy comments be submitted in writing and summarized for oral presentation. The public comment hearing will be transcribed for inclusion in the record of this proceeding. 

The hearing locations are reasonably accessible to persons with a mobility impairment. Interpreter services will be made available to deaf persons, and English language translator services will also be made available, at no charge for either service, upon written request to Chief ALJ James T. McClymonds, Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission, Empire State Plaza, P-1 South, J Dock, Albany, NY 6 12242, 518-473-4590, [email protected]. All requests must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. two weeks before the scheduled hearing.

Read the Notice

Additional In-Person Hearings

Region: Long Island 
Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 
Time: 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm 
Location: Nassau County Legislature, Peter J. Schmitt Legislative Chamber 
1550 Franklin Avenue 
Mineola, NY 11501

Region: New York City 
Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025 
Time: 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm 
Location: New York State Department of Public Service, 4th Floor Board Room 
90 Church Street New York, NY 10007

Region: Western NY 
Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 
Time: 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm 
Location: Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Library 
1324 Jefferson Ave. 5 
Buffalo, NY 14208

Region: North Country 
Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 
Time: 6:00 pm 
Location: Jefferson County Community College Auditorium 
1220 Coffeen Street 
Watertown, NY 13601

Region: Finger Lakes 
Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 
Time: 1 pm and 5:00 pm 
Location: Arnett Community Library 
310 Arnett Boulevard 
Rochester, NY 14611

Virtual Public Comment Hearings

Virtual hearings are being held on: 

Region: Statewide (Virtual) 
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025 
Time: 1 pm 

To join electronically: 

Visit https://meetny-gov.webex.com/meetny-gov/j.php?MTID=mc4e505f13b5202522888a828658e5d2f and click “Join a meeting.” 

Or log onto meetny-gov.webex.com and enter the following: 
Webinar Number: 2825 088 7004 
Webinar Password: Mar11-1pm 

To join by phone only: 

Dial: 1-929-251-9612 
Access Code: 2825 088 7004 
Password: 62711017 

Any person wishing to provide a public comment must register in advance of the hearing no later than 10:00 a.m. Monday, March 10, 2025. Any person who wants only to observe the hearing online must also pre-register. Any person may listen to the hearing by phone without pre-registration. 

To register electronically: 

Persons who will login to the hearing electronically must register. To register, visit https://meetny-gov.webex.com/weblink/register/r8efd425bc6b09a7327b99a2b6bfdd13a, click on “Register,” and fill in the requested information. You will be asked whether you wish to make a public statement or not. After registration is complete, you will receive a confirmation by email with information about how to join the hearing. 

Region: Statewide (Virtual) 
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025 
Time: 6 pm 

To join electronically: 

Visit https://meetny-gov.webex.com/meetny-gov/j.php?MTID=m8bbd4cf249f180b4d4baaf2a738878a8 and click “Join a meeting.” 
Or log onto meetny-gov.webex.com and enter the following: 
Webinar Number: 2829 049 7672 
Webinar Password: Mar11-6pm 

To join by phone only: 
Dial: 1-929-251-9612 
Access Code: 2829 049 7672 
Password: 62711067 

Any person wishing to provide a public comment must register in advance of the hearing no later than 10:00 a.m. Monday, March 10, 2025. Any person who wants only to observe the hearing online must also pre-register. Any person may listen to the hearing by phone without pre-registration. 

To register electronically: Persons who will login to the hearing electronically must register. 

To register, visit https://meetny-gov.webex.com/weblink/register/r9b94175bb97e56a9ba4fbb68351558c6, click on “Register,” and fill in the requested information. You will be asked whether you wish to make a public statement or not. After registration is complete, you will receive a confirmation by email with information about how to join the hearing.

Case Information

Case 24-M-0433 - In the Matter of the Rules and Regulations for the Environmental Review, Permitting, and Siting in this State of Major Renewable Energy Facilities and Major Electric Transmission Facilities Under the Renewable Action Through Project Interconnection and Deployment Act.

To submit comments, fill out the Case 24-M-0433 comment form.

New York State recently enacted the Renewable Action Through Project Interconnection and Deployment (RAPID) Act, which consolidates the environmental review, permitting, and siting of major renewable energy facilities and major electric transmission facilities under the purview of the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (Office or ORES). Among other things, the RAPID Act authorizes ORES, in consultation with the Department of Public Service (Department or DPS) and subject to approval by the Public Service Commission (Commission), to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the new siting permit program for major electric transmission facilities established by the RAPID Act. 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: 

Pursuant to the provisions of the article 2 of the State Administrative Procedure Act (SAPA) and Public Service Law §§ 3-c, 138, 139, and 145, ORES proposes to repeal the current 16 NYCRR Part 1100 (Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission), and replace it with a new Part 1100 (General Procedures), Part 1101 (Major Renewable Energy Facility Siting), and Part 1102 (Major Electric Transmission Facility Siting). The purpose of the rulemaking is to establish procedural rules and uniform standards and conditions for the siting, design, construction, and operation of major renewable energy generation and electric transmission facilities. 

View Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Acceptance of Draft GEIS

Copies of the express terms of the proposed rulemaking are available from the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission, W.A. Harriman Campus, Building 9, 4th Floor, 1220 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12226. 

Notice of Acceptance of Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement: 

DPS, by and through ORES, as lead agency, has completed and accepted a draft generic environmental impact statement (DGEIS) in connection with the proposed rulemaking. The DGEIS was prepared pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (Environmental Conservation Law article 8 [SEQRA]) and its implementing regulations at 6 NYCRR part 617. The DGEIS was prepared to analyze potential environmental impacts associated with the new siting permit program for major electric transmission facilities established by the RAPID Act.

View DGEIS

Copies of the DGEIS are available from the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission, W.A. Harriman Campus, Building 9, 4th Floor, 1220 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12226.