Thursday, October 1, 2026
Glen Head residents Christine Panzeca and George Pombar helped rally opposition to a proposed lithium battery storage facility on the Glenwood Landing waterfront last year. Now the two have turned their attention to another large-scale energy initiative: the Propel NY transmission project.
Panzeca and Pombar, who were central figures in the successful effort that pushed Jupiter Power to withdraw its Oyster Shore Energy Storage proposal, are now working to educate residents and business owners about the multi-year transmission line project planned for Nassau County. The two joined members of the Greenvale Civic Association and local business owners on Tuesday to present information about the project’s scope, timeline, and regulatory approval process.
The Propel NY Energy project is a buildout of the electric grid backbone, and its website describes it as engineering solution to add more transmission capacity to the electric grid, selected by the state grid operator (NYISO) in 2023. According to Susan Craig, director of the company's media relations, communications and public affairs, responding on Friday, project team members have been doing extensive public education and outreach to share project details, routes and permitting information.
On behalf of the project team, she wrote that they have incorporated local feedback that has resulted in project modifications, such as rerouting part of their Uniondale Hub to Shore Road Segment of the cable route down Back Road in Glen Head instead of going directly through the hamlet along Walnut and North Streets to McCouns Lane and Glen Cove Road following resident feedback.
John Fabio, president of the Greenvale Civic Association, said he organized the meeting to fill an information gap left by the absence of a local chamber of commerce.
“Recognizing that there was somewhat of a void as to how do we get this information to our business community,” Fabio said, “I have been reaching out and educating our residents through our civic association.”
In response, Craig wrote that the project team are continuing their on-going and expanded engagement effort which was launched in 2023 that included 26 local open houses and community information sessions, many rounds of direct mail to abutting properties, regular briefings and meetings, and a suite of fact sheets and multiple communications channels.
During the meeting, Fabio also told attendees that the transmission proposal, led by a joint venture between New York Transco and the New York Power Authority known as Propel NY Energy, could affect not only homeowners but also the local economy.
“When I looked at the harm that this project is going to perpetrate on our entire community,” he said. “It goes way beyond the residents, and it goes to the lifeblood of the business community.”
The Propel NY Energy team in turn asserted that the project will strengthen the reliability and resiliency of New York’s statewide grid while delivering significant economic benefits to Long Island and the rest of the state. By their estimates, the project would support approximately 2,000 jobs annually during construction and generate an estimated $2.4 billion boost to the local economy. Local businesses, suppliers, and contractors are expected to benefit directly from the project. Propel's research also suggest that after the project is operational, the resulting power grid will attract businesses and enable existing companies to expand and thrive.
The Propel NY Energy team wrote that project members and representatives have taken a proactive approach to engaging directly with local businesses to assess any potential impacts. In August, the project launched a business survey to gather feedback on hours of operation, parking needs, and seasonal considerations which will help the team plan construction in a way that minimizes potential disruptions. Postcards seeking this information were mailed to 2,000 businesses, and the Propel team claim to have conducted in-person outreach knocking on doors of 500 business owners along the Long Island route.
“We continue working closely with local chambers of commerce and business organizations to help spread the word, and get as much feedback as possible,” wrote Craig. “Our door is always open for input and residents and businesses can share information with our team by going online to PropelNYEnergy.com.”
Fabio described the state’s process for permitting major transmission lines, known as Article VII, and outlined the current settlement phase in which municipalities, civic groups and other registered parties negotiate unresolved issues with the developer.
According to Fabio, local parties involved in negotiations include the Town of Oyster Bay, Town of Hempstead, and several civic associations, as well as businesses and residents located within 500 feet of the proposed cable routes. He urged anyone who did not receive notification to contact the Public Service Commission.
“For the past two years, we’ve worked tirelessly to keep communities informed about the Propel NY Energy project and answer questions,” Craig responded on Friday. “This energy infrastructure project is critical to strengthening the reliability and resiliency of New York’s energy grid. Much of this infrastructure has not been modernized in more than 60 years. We will continue to make sure the facts are clear and move forward with our early, often, and inclusive approach to engagement.”
The meeting then turned to Pombar, president of the Glen Head–Glenwood Landing–Greenvale Civic Council, which represents several North Shore communities. Pombar recapped community concerns about transmission lines and future battery storage proposals.
“Long Island’s 118 miles long. This project of cables piece entails 90 miles of digging,” Pombar said. “So almost 80% of Long Island is going to be dug up from the east end all the way into Queens and going into the city.”
Craig explained how the project’s footprint spreads across Westchester County, New York City, and Long Island, with approximately 60 miles on Long Island, which is approximately 1,400 square miles. She added that project leads said construction will be done in phases and sequenced to minimize impacts. In addition, they said that detailed traffic and construction management plans are being developed in collaboration with municipalities, emergency responders, and other stakeholders to ensure any impacts are minimized.
He raised concerns about disruptions to major commercial corridors, potential unanswered health questions involving underground cables and, later on, proposals to store renewable energy.
“There were two issues with this project that you need to be aware of,” Pombar said. “One is the installation of the cables, and the other one is that after that, the energy… there’s going to be a need for storing some excess energy.”
Pombar explained that concerns about battery storage, particularly lithium-ion facilities, remain high even after Jupiter Power withdrew its earlier proposal.
The project leads said Propel NY Energy is not battery storage and is not connected to battery storage.
Panzeca, introduced by Fabio as “a force of nature” who has spent more than two years researching the state’s renewable energy infrastructure plans, delivered the most detailed portion of the presentation. She claimed the Propel NY project is one part of a larger statewide effort to move offshore wind-generated electricity to upstate markets.
“When we think about what’s happening here on Long Island, you can’t look at any one of the projects that’s going on in isolation,” she asserted. “There are three massive projects. It starts with the proliferation of wind turbines off of our Atlantic coastline, and from there, you need to somehow transmit wind energy to land and then move it to upstate New York.”
“Transmission lines like Propel are energy agnostic,” wrote Craig. “They can carry any form of energy that is available to be dispatched, based on decisions made by the NYISO, the state’s grid operator.”
Panzeca cited state documents that she said show the project is driven by a public policy transmission need declared in 2020 to address limits in the current grid. She pointed to Propel NY’s own public notice, which she showed stating the project is intended “to satisfy the New York State Public Service Commission’s declared Long Island export of wind,” and referenced industry reporting that describes the wider push to transmit offshore wind energy.
She also raised concerns about the lack of long-term health studies related to high-voltage transmission lines in residential areas.
“The most disturbing part of all of this is there are no long-term health studies,” she said. “Especially in Glen Head and Glenwood Landing, there’s nothing out there that’s indicating that this is safe for residents.”
The project team refuted this statement. They wrote projects using 345kV underground transmission technology have been safely and successfully built and operated across the country. They added that stakeholders who are interested in learning more about underground transmission technology can visit a 345kV Underground Transmission Fact Sheet. on the project’s website.
“There is a wealth of reputable scientific and medical studies on transmission lines and electric and magnetic fields over the last nearly 50 years,” wrote Shannon Baxevanis, New York Transco's director of communications and public affairs. “No negative cause and effect relationship has been identified between powerlines and human or animal health. We have an EMF fact sheet on our website that has specific references and resources.”
Panzeca said the infrastructure connecting offshore wind to upstate New York requires both transmission cables and battery storage, which currently relies heavily on lithium-ion technology. She cited fire safety concerns, supply chain questions, and high costs.
“There are no community benefits that’s worth our health and safety,” she said.
“The State’s power grid operator recently released a report outlining serious reliability concerns for Long Island beginning in 2027,"" Baxevanis responded. "Electricity powers nearly every aspect of our daily lives—from commuting to work, using our cell phones, and watching TV, to running local businesses and supporting our communities. Propel NY Energy is critical to keeping the lights, we can not afford to wait."
She also criticized what she described as inconsistencies in energy policy, noting that “the New York independent system operator has a report… It says not to pursue this specific project. It’s not cost effective, but we’re still moving forward with Propel.”
However, according to the project team, the NYISO has released two reports, one on Friday, and one on Oct. 14 citing the criticality of Propel NY Energy in ensuring reliable energy on Long Island. In addition, they state that the reports mention rising electric demand and current congestion constraints on the grid.
She and the others called on attendees to spread the word amongst their friends and neighbors. To learn more about the Propel NY project visit PropelNYEnergy.com. For more information on residents’ opposition to the project visit GH-GWL-GVCC.com.
Propel's representatives also encouraged those who are interested in the project to get in touch with the project through its website, toll-free hotline, email, or its newly launched Propel app.
