Friday, November 6, 2026
Six school districts called on the New York State Public Service Commission to suspend its approval of the Propel NY Energy project until impacts and details surrounding schools are “fully studied and resolved.” The request comes after North Shore School District, Roslyn Union Free School District and Syosset Central School District filed a petition for rehearing.
The three districts were joined by the Garden City Public Schools, Hicksville Union Free School District and Manhasset Union Free School District for a news conference on Oct. 29 at North Shore’s transportation facility. Administrators and Board of Education trustees outlined ongoing concerns about Propel in relation to schools.
Propel was chosen in 2023 by the New York Independent System Operator to satisfy a public policy transmission need regarding offshore wind. Several offshore wind projects have since been cancelled, and the nearly 90-mile cable project has been described as a method for fortifying and modernizing New York’s power grid.
“Our school districts take no position on the modernization of Long Island’s energy grid,” said North Shore Interim Superintendent Tom Dolan. “But no amount of need can justify jeopardizing student safety.”
The PSC approved Propel in September, adopting the terms of the co-developers’ joint proposal. Five phases of environmental management and construction plans, which are subject to public comment, must be submitted and approved before construction can begin. The Army Corp. of Engineers also has yet to issue approval.
Administrators and trustees argue that issues like traffic, emergency vehicle access and noise disruptions remain unresolved and the project should not have been approved without further details.
Syosset Superintendent Tom Rogers described the approval as the PSC giving Propel “a passing grade before they had even finished their homework.”
Propel Spokeswoman Marykate Guilfoyle wrote in a statement on Monday that the project team has engaged with schools for years to implement measures for minimizing temporary construction impacts.
“Schools rely on dependable electricity every day,” she wrote, “and an unreliable grid would create far greater disruption to students, school operations and overall health and safety than the temporary impacts association with standard construction work.”
Co-developers NY Transco and the New York Power Authority filed their joint proposal in April, outlining parameters to which the project must adhere. Environmental management and construction plans are intended to provide specifics for how those parameters will be met. The state places the EM&CP process after approval.
School districts and local elected officials and residents have repeatedly criticized the process.
At the Oct. 29 new conference, Rogers asserted that the PSC has ignored information provided and approved the project without other “concrete and enforceable mitigation plans.”
PSC representatives maintain that Propel is necessary for the reliable operation of the state’s electric grid and avoids or minimizes environmental impacts to the extent practicable.
They added that the PSC found the developers demonstrated that construction will not pose undue hazards to people or property along the project route.
Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy, Board of Education president at Roslyn, emphasized the school districts’ “children first” approach. She described current project siting information as deficient and raised concerns about emergency vehicle access.
“In an emergency, whether it’s a medical crisis, a structural issue or a security incident on campus, seconds count. Seconds,” she said. “First responders must be able to reach our school buildings instantly.”
The PSC’s order approving the project states that proposed conditions “appropriately require (Propel) to provide details regarding the areas of concern raised by the opposition parties.” Schools and emergency services are included with “sensitive land uses” in the concerns the order lists.
According to Propel representatives, detailed traffic management plans are being developed, and construction plan phases 3 and 4 will include details on trench construction. The project’s conditions require that Propel maintain access to schools and minimize duration and extent of traffic disruptions.
The order approved Propel’s four-hour construction window within 300 feet of schools during the school day. The order states that noise impacts “will be minimized to the extent practicable” and are not likely to disrupt classroom and educational activities.
Waxman Ben-Levy raised ongoing concerns about noise, arguing there should be stronger noise protections for students. She also argued that schools must plan their own construction projects to not interfere with the school day, so other projects should be treated the same.
“Our children come first,” Waxman Ben-Levy said. “We will not allow our public schools to be treated as secondary collateral damage for a utility project.”
Christine Panzeca, a Glen Head resident and advocate against Propel, said the districts’ news conference “goes to the heart of the matter.”
“Nobody’s concerns have been addressed,” she added, “and people need to understand that our families, our communities, our children are going to be paramount, and nobody is going to just walk away from something that can impact our health, safety and environmental integrity.”
