Schumer Announces, After His Push, Feds Have Approved Krenzer-Supported Plan to Run New Power Lines Away from Family's Farm

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that, following his push, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved a popularly supported alternative plan, submitted by Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E), that will build the new RG&E transmission lines next to existing New York Power Authority (NYPA) power lines, rather than the original plan, which would have had the lines zig-zag across a wide swath of the fourth-generation Krenzer Farm or through other Town of Chili and Town of Henrietta properties. Schumer has been a long supporter of this alternative plan that calls on RG&E to construct the Rochester Area Reliability Project in a way that simultaneously protects the Krenzer family farm while boosting Rochester's electric capacity. In July, he called on the USDA to approve a key part of this plan so that RG&E would not be forced to build the required new electrical transmission power lines across the family farm. Schumer originally launched his push in 2013 by calling on RG&E and its parent company, Iberdrola, to consider an alternative siting and alignment of a new 11-acre electrical substation and transmission lines after it released a plan to build the substation on the Krenzer Farm and then build new power lines in a zig-zag alignment that would cut across the Krenzer Family farm and potentially force them out of business. Following Schumer's call, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) ordered RG&E to consider alternatives to placing both the power lines and the required new 11-acre substation across the Krenzer's family farm land. One of the options presented included running these new transmission lines across other properties in the Towns of Chili and Henrietta, to which many residents objected. A third option, however, in which the power lines would run adjacent to the existing NYPA lines across a USDA Conservation Area, was widely supported by both town homeowners and the Krenzer family. Schumer backed this third option as well, and called on the USDA to swiftly review and approve RG&E's easement modification making this option a reality. Schumer noted the PSC is currently evaluating whether to order the 11 acre substation to be built on the Krenzer farm or on an alternative non-farm site in Henrietta, and Schumer is urging the PSC to find a non-farm site for the substation.

"The easement issued today by the USDA is a major victory for the Krenzer family, as well as residents in the Towns of Chili and Henrietta," said Schumer. "This plan enables us to protect local properties, the fourth-generation Krenzer Family Farm, and RG&E's plan to boost Rochester's electric capacity all at the same time -- it is a true win-win-win. Allowing the lines to run through the USDA's land will not only keep businesses up and running and residents happy, but it will also increase Rochester's energy capacity in a way that is beneficial to all in Monroe County."

"We want to thank Senator Schumer for his unwavering support and his tireless efforts on behalf of both the Krenzers and the need for reliable electricity service," said Marie Krenzer. Senator Schumer's involvement demonstrates the art of the possible -- showing that meeting the state's energy needs doesn't have to come at the expense of agriculture and family farming. We are hopeful the Public Service Commission will see it that way too."

In July of this year, Schumer asked the USDA to expeditiously consider for approval a conservation easement modification required to avoid significant adverse impact to the fourth generation Krenzer Family Farm in Monroe County as well as to local residents and homes. Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E) was seeking this conservation easement based on a process ordered by the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to evaluate alternative siting locations for a new 11 acre substation with an access road, and new electrical transmission lines (Circuits 940 and 941) required by RG&E to upgrade electrical capacity in the Rochester, New York region.

The PSC review process yielded one alternative substation location on an undeveloped non-farm parcel in the Town of Henrietta. However, even this site would have required RG&E transmission lines to either zig-zag across the Krenzer farm or alternatively zig-zag through neighboring homeowner properties, farm land, in proximity to a senior living community, and perhaps on untouched wetlands. Thus, under both scenarios, without this easement, the zig-zag transmission line routing would not be practical and would have caused severe disruption and economic loss to impacted homeowners and local farms. Schumer explained that, for this reason, the routing of the transmission lines across the USDA conservation area, which negates the need to zig-zag, was the only reasonable alternative all along.

Schumer, who stood with the Krenzer Family at their farm in September 2013, has long been an advocate of a solution that would benefit all parties, relocate the substation to a non-farmed site, and keep the Krenzer Family Farm in business from the very beginning. While the PSC has yet to make a final ruling on the location where the new substation will be built, Schumer noted USDA's approval today of his request definitely settles the issue of the power line location once and for all to the mutual satisfaction of all parties. Just last year, Schumer stood with the Krenzers and explained that while he supported the project overall to increase electrical capacity and reliability in the Rochester area it should not be built according to RG&E's original plan that would consume acres of Krenzer farm land and jeopardize its future farming viability.

As a part of his past push, Schumer also urged the New York State Public Service Commission, which had agreed to consider to reopen the matter and work with all parties involved to assess the true impacts to the farm in hopes of finding a mutually acceptable solution that will allow these important enhancements to electrical infrastructure in the Rochester Area while protecting the livelihood of this fourth generation farm. In a letter to PSC Chairman Brown, Schumer also urged the PSC to continue to work with all of the interested parties to find a mutually acceptable solution that will provide needed enhancements to electrical infrastructure in the Rochester Area and protect high value farming land that has survived for over four generations.

Schumer said that increasing the electric capacity of Rochester while keeping the Krenzer Family Farm in business and Chili and Henrietta residents happy are not mutually exclusive options. Schumer said that with this USDA easement modification now granted, the Krenzers and local residents are significantly closer to an amenable situation benefitting all parties.

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