Uniondale to host major underground energy power upgrade

A public hearing in Mineola on July 23 marked another milestone for the Propel NY Energy transmission project as it advances through New York state’s permitting process.

More than two dozen community members, elected officials, environmental advocates and business owners spoke before administrative law judges Ashley Moreno and Nicholas Planty at the Nassau County Legislature chambers, voicing both staunch support and fierce opposition. With a targeted construction start of mid-2026, the project team and regulators continue refining route details, planning environmental protections and fine-tuning outreach to address lingering misconceptions about the venture.

The proposed transmission project comprises multiple sections, including the Barrett-to-Uniondale Hub segment, which would extend 8.75 miles from a new Barrett substation, in Oceanside, to the existing Uniondale Hub. The segment’s preliminary route runs through Oceanside, primarily along Long Beach Road and North Long Beach Road, and then continues north.

Propel NY Energy, a joint initiative of New York Transco and the New York Power Authority, proposes roughly 90 miles of new 345 kilovolt underground cables spanning Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties, as well as direct interconnections to nine substations from the Bronx through Westchester.

Before construction can begin, the developers must secure a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need from the State Public Service Commission, which will issue a decision based on the full case record, including last month’s testimony.

Proponents argued that the project is critical for Long Island’s energy future.

“The underground transmission cables that are to be built are nothing new,” Island Park resident Jim Brown, of the South Shore Audubon Society, said. “We especially support Propel’s use of underground cables as particularly bird-friendly, creating significantly less impact on avian species than overhead transmission lines. If a transition to clean energy is not accomplished, and soon, not only will many birds and wildlife species face extinction, but the planet will become unlivable for humanity as well.” 

Oceanside residents question why the transmission line is planned along busy Long Beach Road instead of less crowded Lawson Boulevard.

Transco’s director of public affairs, Shannon Baxevanis, confirmed that, despite public statements to the contrary, “nothing has been approved other than our survey work,” and that the docket remains open to comments indefinitely — even into construction.  She emphasized that “we’re still working on viable alternatives” in several northern jurisdictions, though Oceanside’s preferred routing along Long Beach Road stands firm.

“We’re working closely with local municipalities, emergency responders and community stakeholders to ensure minimal disruption and maximum transparency,” Baxevanis said.

She explained that engineering analyses showed that existing utilities along Lawson Boulevard would increase the environmental and construction impact — and costs — compared with the current alignment.

The project, slated to begin construction in mid-2026, would add a new substation on Daily Boulevard as well. Long Island’s power grid has seen minimal updates since the 1950s.

Jeff Greenfield, a Rockville Centre resident and a former LIPA board trustee, spoke in favor of upgraded cables. “I served four years (on the LIPA board) and we had three major cable failures,” he recalled. “I was an advocate while on the LIPA board that we needed additional transmission capacity to power Long Island. The power demand on Long Island has only increased with more electric vehicles. We’re isolated here, and we need this additional cable — a reliable, safe cable — to help us power Long Island and maintain the power, especially during the peak season, when the power is readily available.”

Opponents of the project offered equally passionate arguments, focusing on potential health risks and community disruption. County Legislator Patrick Mullaney called the project “a risk to communities,” and criticized the lack of independent environmental review.

“Burying high-voltage cables in this environment isn’t just short-sighted, it’s dangerous,” Mullaney said. “Instead of addressing these risks, New York state issued the RAPID Act, which attempted to fast-track and bypass any environmental review, and there’s been no independent engineering review, no transparent cost-benefit comparison with above-ground alternatives, and no serious response to these very real safety concerns. Instead we’re just being asked to trust private developers who benefit from pushing this project through while giving us all the risk. This project treats Nassau County as a corridor, not as a community.”

Legislator Samantha Goetz echoed Mullaney’s concerns. “Albany does not know Glen head better than the people of Glen Head,” Goetz said. “And Governor (Kathy) Hochul does not know Glenwood Landing like the residents do. This isn’t about being anti-renewable energy, it’s about being pro-community, pro-transparency and pro-democracy.”

Project representatives identified what they describe as a recurring misunderstanding: Propel NY installs only the “highways” for electricity — underground cables, buried under layers of backfill and concrete, protection from electric-field exposure. It does not build wind turbines, solar farms or battery-storage facilities.

“We’re still trying to get past the confusion about what this project is, and what it isn’t,” Baxevanis said. “Transmission is backbone infrastructure, like roads; it doesn’t produce or store power.”

Draft environmental management and construction pland will be filed later in the permitting process, triggering another round of public review and comment. Baxevanis confirmed that, assuming the project’s approval, its start date remains mid-2026, with multiple construction crews working simultaneously across segments to accelerate completion.

To bolster transparency, Transco plans additional webinars and neighborhood workshops, building on a recent online session that drew 120 participants.

“We’ll keep people engaged at their convenience and welcome ideas for new outreach formats., Baxevanis said, “