By:Angela Marshall
Unless something is done in the next few years, Rockville Centre's power supply will be in serious trouble, according to a report made to the village board last week. Several solutions are being considered.
Although the village's own power plant can generate 30 megawatts of electricity, RVC administrators choose to first import 29 megawatts of Niagara Falls hydropower from the New York State Power Authority, which is cheaper. They use that power first and supplement it with the village's own power. However, the lines to transmit NYPA's juice are expected to face a squeeze, which might make RVC depend more on its own load.
Even though the village electric department has a contract with NYPA until 2013, the electricity is delivered via Long Island Power Authority lines.
LIPA's ability to transmit that power to Rockville Centre has already begun to decline and will continue to deteriorate unless the village acts, according to energy consultant Bruce Humenik, who was hired by the village to study the problem.
Like most of Long Island, summer, when all of the air conditioners are going, is the peak time for RVC power usage. The record peak was 50.5 MWs in 1999, according to the village spokesperson. That means RVC had 8.5 megawatts left, a reserve margin of about 15 percent. Last year's peak was about 45 megawatts.
Humenik said that the village will see significant decreases by 2003 if nothing is done. This is a serious concern and one that we wanted to look into,he told the board.
Because there is a finite size to the lines LIPA uses to transport electricity, there may not be enough room for RVC in the future, Humenik said. He believes LIPA is more likely to favor areas like Lynbrook, which rely solely on them for power.
According to the consultant's figures, Rockville Centre will go from the 29 megawatts it currently receives to 22.6 in 2002, 12.0 in 2007 and by the end of the contract in 2013 will be reduced to 1.9 megawatts. You're victims of LIPA and you have no recourse, Humenik said.
LIPA spokesman Michael Loundes, when reached after the meeting, did not feel the need was as dire as Humenik reported. He said it was very unlikely that LIPA's load would grow so fast that they would not be able to transport to Rockville Centre. He did say that upgrades would probably be needed.
New supply line recommended
Humenik outlined several options for the board to consider but favored the addition of a third line and an upgrade of one of LIPA's stations.
Rockville Centre imports electricity through the LIPA substation at Ocean Avenue on the Lynbrook border. That station is in turn supplied by two transmission lines, one from Valley Stream and one from Island Park. The consultant recommended activating an existing but unused third transmission line from Bellmore, a move that would maintain Rockville Centre's current ability through 2004.
That project would cost an estimated $1.6 to $2 million and could be done in about six months, according to a release issued by the village after the meeting.
However, Humenik said use of the third line only slows down the inevitable. He said they should also consider upgrading the Barrett substation in Island Park.
Village administrators refused to release a copy of the study, which contains details of the village's options and the possible cost of each.
Board members requested that Village Administrator Anthony Cancellieri begin negotiations with LIPA as soon as possible, according to the press release.
