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Farmers say electricity costs and capacity limit expansion in Steuben County
Summary
Participants at an April 29 roundtable told county leaders that high costs and limited capacity for electricity service — including a cited figure of roughly $1 million to run power one mile — are major obstacles to farm expansion, though local substation upgrades may help in some areas.
Attendees at the Steuben County agricultural roundtable said high electricity costs and constrained distribution capacity are preventing farm expansion and modernization. Participants cited an illustrative cost of about $1 million to run electricity one mile to remote farm sites and noted that while upgrades at the Meyer Electric Substation should add capacity in parts of the county, the price of electrical supplies and service connections remains a barrier.
Farmers and agency representatives said the cost and lead time for bringing three‑phase power and other upgrades make it difficult to justify capital investments such as new processing equipment or greenhouse operations. The roundtable discussion framed the infrastructure problem as a limiting factor for both large and small operations and urged county staff to identify grant opportunities and partnership approaches to reduce upfront costs.
