Wildwood to Riverhead:
Convert 69kV OH Transmission to 138kV OH Transmission

Long Island Power Authority ("LIPA" or "Applicant") is submitting this Application for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need authorizing the increase in the design capacity of an existing 69 kilovolt ("kV ") overhead transmission circuit to 138kV alternating current transmission facility. The entire length of the LIPA right of way and line to be upgraded is approximately 10.6 miles. The width of the right of way is approximately one-hundred (100) feet. The line will be upgraded by installing insulators capable of supporting 138kV transmission. Several poles at the Wildwood Substation will be added to the existing right of way. Existing conductors will not be replaced. A short piece (300') of underground 138kV cable will be installed near the Wildwood Substation to transition the overhead line into the Wildwood Substation. No additional property rights from the general public need to be acquired.

The transmission line to be upgraded is located in a right-of -way that runs between LIPA's Riverhead and Wildwood Substations. This application is filed pursuant to Article VII of the Public Service Law ("PSL") and the New York State Public Service Commission's ("Commission" or "NYPSC") implementing regulations (16NYCRR Parts 85, 86, and 88). The proposed in-service date is Spring 2013.

Description of Facility

To allow the line to operate at a design capacity of 138kV, LIPA is proposing herein to replace all the 69kV insulators with 138kV insulators. Several poles (3) will be required at the Wildwood Substation in order to route the circuit to the proposed 138kV transition station. At the Riverhead Substation, only one steel pole will be reconfigured to transition into the existing ring bus. Additionally, LIPA proposes to remove 2 existing wood poles (one at the Wildwood Substation and one at the Riverhead Substation).

Proposed Route

The existing overhead transmission route consists of three (3) right of way segments.

  • Segment One (Town of Riverhead/Town of Southampton) - 1.8 miles:
    Starting from LIPA's Riverhead Substation (which is located on the south side of NYS Route 25 east of Mill Road), the circuit proceeds west for 0.8 miles on LIPA right of way. The circuit than proceeds north for one (1) mile, traversing the Peconic River and the Long Island Railroad right of way. The circuit continues north crossing NYS Route 25 (Middle Country Road) and Suffolk County Road 58 (Old Country Road). This area is primarily commercial. See route drawings in Exhibit 5.
  • Segment Two (Town of Riverhead)- 6.0 miles:
    The line proceeds west, through farmland; roads crossed include: Middle Road, Twomey Ave., Riley Ave., Edwards Ave., Fresh Pond Ave and Hulse Landing Road (Country Road 54). See route drawings in Exhibit 5.
  • Segment Three (Town of Riverhead & Town of Brookhaven) - 2.8 miles:
    The last portion of the right of way is near residential homes and a few commercial establishments. The closest homes and/or commercial establishments vary from approximately sixty (60) to one-hundred (100) feet from the existing steel pole line. Roads traversed in this portion include: Sound Ave., North Country Rd., Overhill Rd., Dogwood Rd., Gateway Dr., and Randall Rd.. This portion is along the east end of the circuit, is closest to the Wildwood Substation, the last 0.9 miles of which is within the Town of Brookhaven. See route drawings in Exhibit 5.

Alternate Routes

Two alternative routes are addressed in the attached Exhibit 3. These alternative routes, although feasible from a construction standpoint, are expected to cause more public objections from an aesthetic and safety point of view. In addition, either alternative will be more costly than the proposed route. A large portion of the proposed route traverses farmland and only 30% of the proposed route is within sixty (60) to one-hundred(100) feet of residential and/or commercial properties. In contrast, the alternative routes would proceed through congested residential and commercial areas and would require the installation of many more new poles.

The alternative routes, offer an improvement in terms of maintenance and repair, since they are along public roads; however these alternative routes, would disrupt the community in terms of traffic, especially during construction as well as during routine maintenance. Aesthetics (i.e. taller poles) would also be an issue to the community. Permitting, therefore, may be problematic for the alternative routes. Most importantly there would be safety concerns as the new wood poles would have greater risk to accidents from vehicles and interference from the general public. Other alternative routes were evaluated along Country Road 58 (Old Country Road) and Mill Road. Please refer to attached Exhibit 3.

Date of Article VII Filing

LIPA filed its Article VII application with the PSC on March 24, 2011. Copies of the application may be reviewed at the Riverhead Public Library, Baiting Hallow Public Library, and North Shore Public Library.

Application to the NYS Public Service Commission

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