GAO releases NYRI report

NORWICH – Building more high-voltage power lines may decrease electricity congestion, improve energy reliability and lower costs for utility consumers in high-priced, densely-populated areas.

However, new transmission projects like New York Regional Interconnect’s may also diminish rural landscapes, remove incentives to conserve energy in high-use parts of the country and lower property values and raise electricity rates where they’re built.

According to a report released Friday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, those are some of advantages and disadvantages of adding new power lines to the nation’s electricity grid.

The report’s findings – gathered from GAO interviews with federal and state agencies, as well as environmentalists, energy stakeholders and private industry representatives – echo many of the arguments already brought forth by NYRI supporters and opponents in the two years since the controversial project was first introduced.

Congressman Michael Arcuri (D-Utica), who’s against NYRI, says unlike the speculation from those both for and against the 190-mile-long power line, the GAO report is an un-biased source that gives truth to much of the speculation surrounding the issue.

“Now we have pretty clear confirmation on many of things we’ve already talked about,” said Arcuri in a phone interview with reporters Friday, pointing out the report’s conclusions that new power lines could possibly raise electricity rates, lower property values and hurt programs to cut-back energy use. “(The) report is vindication for families, businesses, and local government who have stood up to NYRI’s attempts to run roughshod over local communities. For the first time, an outside, non-partisan source has found that siting new transmission lines, such as the one proposed by NYRI, may raise energy prices where the line starts, reduce property values and stunt alternative energy initiatives and energy conservation.”