ALBANY – The evidentiary hearings on the proposed high-voltage electric transmission line currently under review by state regulators begin today in Albany.

The administrative law judges assigned to preside over the year-long review of New York Regional Interconnect’s Article VII application, Jeffrey Stockholm and Michelle Phillips, have set aside six weeks for the proceedings where direct testimony and exhibits will be entered into the official record. During that time, active parties will also have an opportunity to cross examine witnesses regarding their testimony.

The hearings will be broadcast in real time over the Internet, at www.NewYorkAdmin.com. RealPlayer is needed to view the broadcast and can be downloaded from the site if needed.

Parties scheduled to testify include NYRI, the staff of the Public Service Commission, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, New York Independent System Operator and Communities Against Regional Interconnect.

Included in their testimony will be statements on the economic and environmental impacts of the project on communities along the 190-mile proposed primary and alternate routes as well as analysis of the benefits NYRI claims the project would have for downstate consumers.

The evidentiary hearings were originally scheduled to take place over three weeks starting March 4. Due to the volume of evidence pre-filed by the active parties, Stockholm and Phillips extended the time allotted to six weeks and pushed back the start of the hearing to allow adequate time for rebuttal testimony to be filed.