Propel New York team presents 90-mile underground transmission plan to Community Board 11; board delays letter of support

Representatives for Propel New York presented details of a proposed underground electric transmission project to Community Board 11 on Dec. 10, saying the 90‑mile system will connect Long Island, Queens, the Bronx, Westchester and parts of Long Island to increase reliability and move power bidirectionally where needed.

Philip Ellison of the New York Power Authority (NYPA) said the project is “core infrastructure” and stressed the scale and climate rationale: NYPA generates “about 25% of the state's power, and 80% of that power is clean, renewable hydro,” and transmission investment, he said, supports economic activity and system resilience. New York Transco manager Jamal Wilkerson described routes through the Bronx as about four miles long, naming Castle Hill, Unionport, Morris Park, Parkchester, Pelham Parkway and Westchester Square among neighborhoods under consideration. “It’s a 90 mile transmission project,” Wilkerson said during the presentation.

The team said the project would be underground, use trenchless methods such as horizontal directional drilling in sensitive locations, and typically install conduit and cable at depths of roughly 5 to 6 feet (varying by local utilities). Wilkerson gave a construction window beginning in September 2026 with a goal to enter service by May 2030.

Project staff said the permit path is through the New York State Article 7 process and cited a case file (24T0446) that includes an environmental review, engineering materials and public hearings. Jamal Wilkerson said the application has been deemed complete and that environmental management and construction plans will be reviewed before notices to proceed are issued.

On cost and funding, Wilkerson said the project is estimated at about $3,240,000,000 and described it as ratepayer-funded; he added the team believes cost pressures could begin to ease in roughly a decade, but that energy prices are influenced by factors outside the project’s control and no specific consumer‑price reductions were guaranteed. “So this is a… $3,240,000,000 project that is happening,” he told the board.

In response to concerns raised by board members and residents, presenters said they are coordinating routing with agencies including the MTA, NYC Parks and DOT, and that outreach has included door‑to‑door contact, tabling events and workshops (presenters cited roughly 680 homes/businesses contacted and 2,800+ touchpoints). The presenters offered fact sheets on electromagnetic fields (EMF) and said Manhattan already uses underground transmission technology.

Board members pressed on local impacts — timing, street restoration, nearby substations and construction disruption — and asked for documentation about health and safety (EMF). Presenters said they would share materials, including their EMF “myth‑busting” informational sheets and the presentation slides.

After the presentation and community Q&A, members of the combined Parks/Sanitation committee debated whether to act on a request for a committee letter of support. Several members said the material was new to some committee members and asked for time to review the slide deck and filings; others said they were comfortable moving forward. The committee agreed to delay any vote until the next meeting in January to allow fuller review and outreach to absent members.

What happens next: presenters said they will send the presentation and supporting materials to the board, continue community outreach and return for further conversations with Community Board 9 and other Bronx stakeholders. The Article 7 permitting process and environmental reviews remain the formal steps before construction can begin.

Sources: Propel New York presentation to Community Board 11 (Dec. 10, 2025); comments and questions from Community Board 11 members and residents.