National Grid's Lockport–Batavia Line 112 Rebuild Project is a proposed transmission line project that will rebuild an aging electric transmission line. The rebuild will focus on the northern 20 miles of an existing 115,000 volt (or 115kV) electric transmission line that runs from the City of Lockport in Niagara County to the Town of Alabama in Genesee County, traversing the Towns of Lockport and Royalton in Niagara County, all in New York. Once constructed, the newly rebuilt transmission line will provide enhanced electric reliability for the Western New York region.

 

Article VII

 

National Grid submitted an application to the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need under Article VII of the State Public Service Law on November 18, 2022. The Article VII process involves an evaluation of all potential impacts from the project and includes a detailed environmental assessment. Other agencies, like the Department of Agriculture and Markets, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, are entitled to become parties to the Article VII process. 

National Grid's Application was approved on September 19, 2024.

 

EM&CP 

Once the project is certified under Article VII, National Grid will submit its Environmental Management and Construction Plan (EM&CP) to the PSC. The EM&CP includes best practices for construction as well as the project's final design.

After the EM&CP is approved, the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS) will issue a Notice to Proceed with Construction. The community, including affected landowners, will receive a Construction Commencement Notice before the start of construction.

 

Other Agency Permits

Permits from other agencies are also required before construction can start.

• Permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be required for project work over navigable waters and for work in federally regulated wetlands.
• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reviews the project and makes determinations regarding structure heights and proximity to airfields.
• A DEC State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit will be required for soil disturbances of greater than one acre of land.
• New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) and local highway permits will also be required for various Project road crossings.

Public Involvement and Comment

 

The permitting process includes opportunities for public involvement and comment from permitting through construction. To contact National Grid with a question or comment, use the "Contact" form below.

 

How to Become a Party:

 

Interested persons who wish to participate as parties in this case may file a request for party status. This may be done through the Commission's web site. From the home page of the Commission's web site (www.dps.ny.gov ), a prospective party should click on "Search." On the Search page, the "Search by Case Number" box should be filled in with the number for this case (Case 22-T-0654). This will bring the user to the main Document and Matter Management ("DMM") page for this case. On that page, the prospective party should click the button at the upper right labeled "Request for Party Status" to see a web page with instructions for the procedures to follow to make a request to become a party. A request to become a party to this case can be filed anytime while the case remains open with the Commission.

 

 

Typical new transmission structures throughout the project will be steel monopole structures. A project segment breakout can be found below.

Segment 1 begins in the City of Lockport in Niagara County and extends in an easterly direction for approximately half of a mile. The existing corridor contains six 115kV transmission circuits. Existing facilities in Segment 1 consist of a combination of wood pole and double-circuit lattice towers. The structures along this portion will be replaced with steel monopole structures.

Segment 2 extends from the Town of Lockport in an easterly direction for approximately 11 miles, into the Town of Royalton. The existing corridor contains six 115kV transmission circuits. Existing facilities in Segment 2 consist primarily of vintage steel tri-leg "aeromotor" single-circuit lattice towers. The structures along this section will be replaced with steel monopole structures.

Segment 3 begins in the Town of Royalton and extends in a generally southeast direction over a distance of approximately 2 miles to the Town of Alabama in Genesee County. Existing facilities in Segment 3 consist primarily of vintage steel "tri-leg" "aeromotor" single-circuit towers with the exception of a small number of replacement structures. These replacement structures are single-circuit wood pole delta davit arm structures. The structures along this portion will be replaced by steel monopole structures.

Existing Segment 4 is located in the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area in the Town of Alabama and is approximately 2 miles long. The project plan calls for removal of all wires and associated hardware with a number of the towers to remain in place to be used as habitat for wildlife species.

The new Segment 4, called Relocated Segment 4, will run parallel to Lewiston Road until it reaches Feeder Road, a distance of approximately 2 miles, all in the Town of Alabama. The newly constructed structures along this segment will be steel monopole structures.

Segment 5, located in the Town of Alabama, extends southeast for approximately 1.5 miles. Existing facilities in Segment 5 consist of primarily of vintage steel tri-leg "aeromotor" single -circuit towers with the exception of a small number of replacement structures. These replacement structures are single- circuit wood pole delta davit arm structures. The structures along this section will be replaced with steel monopole structures.

Segment 6, located in the Town of Alabama, is located on the site of the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park being developed by the Genesee County Economic Development Center. Segment 6 will be rebuilt along a new route around the development site. The work on Segment 6 is not part of this project. It is scheduled to be completed by July 2022.

Segment 7, also located in the Town of Alabama, runs southeasterly then easterly approximately 2.5 miles. Existing facilities in Segment 7 consist primarily of vintage steel tri-leg "aeromotor" single-circuit towers with the exception of a small number of replacement structures. These replacement structures are single-circuit wood pole delta davit arm structures, guyed wood single pole dead-end structures, and guyed wood three pole dead-end structures. The structures along this section will be replaced with steel monopole structures, with the exception of one location. The final structure in Segment 7 will be a galvanized steel H-Frame dead-end structure.

 

Rebuilding an electric transmission line involves a variety of activities set out in phases. Below are sample descriptions and photos; actual construction sequencing, methods, and materials will vary.