The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has taken the first official step to obtain a new operating license for its Blenheim-Gilboa pumped storage project by filing the required preliminary documents with the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
NYPA said in a statement that as relicensing is a multiyear process, by initiating the process now, it will be positioned to obtain a new license before its current one expires in April 2019.
NYPA filed a Notice of Intent (NOI) to formally notify FERC of its intention to relicense the project. In addition, it filed a Pre-Application Document (PAD), a comprehensive report describing the relicensing process and providing engineering, operational, economic and environmental information about the project.
“The Blenheim-Gilboa project plays a valuable role in the security and reliability of New York State's bulk electric power system - by providing electricity during periods of high demand - while also being linked to important recreational, tourism, economic and environmental benefits for the Schoharie Valley," said Lynn H. Hait, regional manager for Central New York, NYPA. "A new license will allow the Power Authority - a public entity operated without taxpayer dollars - to continue providing important energy reliability and community benefits to local residents and the people of New York State."
In May 1969, NYPA received a 50-year license from the Federal Power Commission, the predecessor of FERC, to construct and operate Blenheim-Gilboa along the Schoharie Creek, a tributary of the Mohawk River in the northern Catskills. The power plant, began supplying electricity to the state's power grid in 1973. NYPA expects to submit its application for a new license in April 2017.
Blenheim-Gilboa principal features include the power plant; the upper and lower reservoirs; and all surrounding grounds and facilities within the project boundary, much of which support regional tourism and recreation.
Image: Blenheim-Gilboa pumped storage project, courtesy NYPA
