New York City has filed an application to compete against Delaware County Electric Cooperative for a permit to study developing four hydroelectric plants at water supply reservoirs in Upstate New York.
New York City filed a preliminary permit application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission seeking priority to develop the 29.75-MW West of Hudson project (No. 13287). The application competes with one filed earlier by Delaware County co-op for the 63-MW Catskills Hydro project (No. 13222). (HNN 8/18/08)
Both applications, which are pending, seek to utilize water supply reservoirs in the New York City watershed for hydroelectric developments. At the time of Delaware County’s filing, Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., wrote the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, urging the city to work with the cooperative to advance the proposal.
New York City’s proposal includes powerhouses at existing earthen dams and reservoirs: 12.1-MW Cannonsville, West Branch Delaware River, 25.46 gigawatt-hours of annual generation; 1.65-MW Neversink, Neversink River, 7.79 GWh; 3.1-MW Pepacton, East Branch Delaware River, 9.04 GWh; and 12.9-MW Schoharie, Schoharie Creek, 31.8 GWh. FERC issued notice of the competing application in October, calling for comments by December 8.
Delaware County’s proposal includes powerhouses for the same dams and reservoirs, but with different capacities and generation: 20.5-MW Cannonsville, 46.5 GWh; 6.5-MW Neversink, 4 GWh; 12.5-MW Pepacton, 16.7 GWh; and 23.5-MW Schoharie, 23.9 GWh.
