Propel NY Energy, a large-scale regional transmission project spanning multiple communities across downstate New York, includes plans to install underground transmission lines along portions of Long Beach Road in Rockville Centre as part of its broader infrastructure upgrades.
Village officials discussed the proposal at the Feb. 9 village board meeting, where Mayor Francis X. Murray and Trustee Gregory P. Shaughnessy said the project is designed to strengthen Long Island’s connection to the statewide power grid and to meet a growing demand for electricity.
“It is a needed project,” Shaughnessy said. “We … are very lucky and unique to have our own electric department, which gives us a lot of different mechanisms for where we can buy our power, and that is why we’re one of the lowest-cost providers in the tri-state. So [this is] another unique thing to Rockville Centre that’s very important and, I think, this project is very important in people being aware of what’s happening and why. It’s a good thing.”
The New York State Power Authority and NY Transco, a private company formed by several major utilities to develop, build, and operate high-voltage electric transmission projects across New York State. must still obtain the required state and regulatory permits before any construction can begin. If approvals are secured, construction could start as early as fall 2026, with work continuing in phases through 2030. The total cost is estimated at $3.26 billion and would be recovered from New York taxpayers.
Propel’s broader regional project calls for three new transmission ties linking Long Island to the state system, along with roughly 90 miles of new transmission infrastructure. Plans include six new 345-kilovolt lines, one 138-kilovolt line and three new electrical stations serving Nassau and Suffolk counties as well as Queens, the Bronx and Westchester County.
The Barrett line of the project refers to a proposed new 345-kilovolt underground transmission connection between the Barrett Substation on the South Shore and the Uniondale Hub in central Nassau County.
Because Rockville Centre is geographically located between the South Shore and Uniondale, this portion of the project would pass through the village on Long Beach Road. Current plans call for the line to be installed underground within public roadways rather than on overhead towers.
If built, construction would involve opening sections of roadway to install conduit and high-voltage cable, followed by restoration of the street surface. No new substation is planned within Rockville Centre itself; the work in the village would be limited to underground transmission infrastructure.Roughly 80 percent of the state’s existing transmission infrastructure was built before the 1980s.
Murray said he was still learning about the project. “I don’t know enough about Propel yet,” he said at the meeting. “I’m learning about it. It’s going to be about 14 feet down in the ground and covered by conduit, which is plastic. They’re going to put it in and, if you like it or don’t like it, we can’t stop them.”
Propel representatives from NYPA, NY Trancso, and WSP Global, a multinational engineering and consulting firm gave a presentation at the Rockville Centre Civic Association’s monthly meeting the following day, with detailed plans, maps and an overview of the company.
“What we’re doing is a safe and proven technology based upon scientific studies that rule out health and safety concerns,” said Jim Certa, director of community and government relations for NYPA. “It will support economic growth and jobs, and the permitting and approval is a public process. Everybody has a voice in that process.”
About 12 miles of the 90-mile transmission upgrade would run through the Town of Hempstead. Construction along Long Beach Road would be completed in sections to avoid disrupting the entire corridor at once.
“We’re continuing to meet with all stakeholders along the way, and that includes school districts as well, even down to the level of … asking them for their bus routing,” Kushnir said. “We know the bus routes change from year to year a little bit, but ultimately we want to know exactly where the bus routes are, so we could better coordinate with the schools, with all the community as a whole, to try to minimize the impact as well as we can.”
At the civic meeting, several questions focused on construction methods and traffic management, with residents expressing concerns that drivers might be diverted onto residential side streets to avoid work zones. Officials said the entirety of Long Beach Road would not be shut down at once.
“Right now, the timing we can give is that generally, the work proceeds at 50 to 150 feet a day,” Kushnir said. “In the coming months, we will have better schedules as far as where we will be towards the end of this year, and then continue to update the schedules in the future years”
Propel encourages residents to contact the company. with any questions or visit PropelNYEnergy.com.
