Shelter Island Reporter editorial: Power plays
It’s hard to keep track of the plans and programs that have been rolled out in the last several years to ensure that Shelter Island has reliable backup power in case of emergencies.
As Julie Lane reports last week, the newest idea is to start digging a tunnel in October somewhere in Shelter Island Heights to Greenport. The tunnel would house electrical power cables that will connect to a substation in Southold Town. If PSEG pulls the trigger on the plan, one thing will not be in dispute — some Heights and Greenport residents will loudly condemn the whole thing.
An expensive and disruptive — not to mention farcical — $9 million attempt two years ago by LIPA’s contractor, Bortech, to dig a tunnel from Crescent Beach under the harbor, ended in complete failure. (It was interesting to note that LIPA officials actually said that the dig was only a few hundred feet from reaching the North Fork when they had to call the whole thing off. As if they should get credit for making a good try after months of blown deadlines and a general record of incompetence.)
The reason a new tunnel might be in the works is due to the Shelter Island Town Board unanimously refusing to go to PSEG’s Plan B, which would allow construction of an electrical substation here. As stated in this space before, that plan was absurd on its face — building an industrial facility in a residential neighborhood next to the Shelter Island Historical Society.
Nevertheless, the plan was rolled out three times by PSEG before the board, hearing loud and sustained protests from residents, passed legislation saying no way, no how.
Greenport residents were up in arms about the Crescent Beach tunnel project in 2013, which disrupted their lives for months. They had a real argument, asking why they had to be made miserable just so Islanders would have a reliable source of power. They noted that an Island substation would be the most equitable solution.
When the board passed the legislation banning the construction of a substation anywhere on the Island, that argument became moot, but it didn’t stop Southold Supervisor Scott Russell from grandstanding, saying he would not allow another power cable to surface in his town from the Island.
It’s time to take a deep breath and look at plans PSEG has in mind for a new project, one that will benefit the Island and not make life unhappy for residents on both shores.
