Power plant application filed
Schenectady Daily Gazette
January 31, 2002

Glenville to seek funds to intervene in review process
By MICHAEL LAMENDOLA
Gazette Reporter
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GLENVILLE - Developers of a proposed gas-fired power plant in the town filed their final application on Wednesday with the state agency that will decide whether to allow the $350-million project to proceed.

Glenville Energy Project filed the application and a $300,000 fee with the Board of Electric Generation Siting and Environment, said Thomas Macaulay of GEP.

Opponents of the plan immediately said they will continue to fight it.

GEP is seeking to build the 520-megawatt plant on 21.1 acres within the Scotia-Glenville Industrial Park.

Not included in the application is the identity of GEP's financial partner. Macaulay said he will disclose that within 60 days.

"We have more than one entity competing to become our financial partner," he said.

GEP does not have to list a financial partner in the application, Macaulay said. The siting board, however, will require the information sometime during the review process, he said.

The siting board has 60 days to determine whether GEP's application complies with state Public Service Law.

If it passes the test, the siting board will conduct hearings at which "intervenors" can appear. Intervenors can be individuals, groups or municipalities.

Using portions of GEP's $300,000 application fee, intervenors can present information that "adds to the siting board's understanding of the project," Macaulay said.

Glenville is eligible for half the money, and Supervisor Clarence Mosher said the town will seek its share.

"We have a contingency plan that goes into effect when the application is submitted. It automatically sends a letter to the siting board stating we plan to apply for intervenor funds," Mosher said.

"We've obligated ourselves to spend money to protect the residents of this town, and it might as well come from the developers," he said.

Macaulay said GEP's application consists of technical data dealing with the power plant's impact on the area.

"The data took into consideration a lot of what the community wanted, and those studies took time. Otherwise, we would have filed earlier," Macaulay said.

The hearings could last as long as 12 months, but a decision could come sooner, Macaulay said. Ground breaking for the plant could begin as soon the license is granted. Construction could take about two years, with the plant operational in spring 2005, Macaulay said.

"We would be ready for the summer energy peaks," he said.

Macaulay said the market for energy in the state remains strong, "especially downstate and especially for clean power. We can produce it cleaner and cheaper."

Since 1997, GEP has sought to build the generating plant in the town. Almost from the start, the proposal generated opposition.

Citing environmental and safety concerns, the Scotia-Glenville Board of Education, Scotia Village Board and Glenville Town Board and various residents, including members of Citizens Advocating Responsible Development, have all opposed the power plant.

CARD President Neil Turner said he was disappointed to hear about GEP's filing.

"The big thing is depression. Everyone was convinced that they would go away," he said.

CARD plans to fight the application and is reviving efforts to raise money for attorney fees.

"Our fund-raising took a sharp decrease because we had a false sense of security. Now we have to get up to speed," Turner said.