Maureen Helmer, chair of the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), will speak at the Nov. 19 meeting of The Business Council's Energy Committee.
The meeting will run from 1:30-3 p.m. at The Business Council's headquarters in Albany. All Council members are invited.
Helmer is expected to discuss a range of energy-related issues, including: the siting of new electricity-generating plants in New York State and the role of the PSC in that process; and New York's possible participation in a regional transmission organization (RTO).
An RTO is a multi-state organization that monitors and manages electricity grids across all participating states. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is already exploring the implications of creating many different RTOs, and is considering how New York State might fit into a multistate northeast RTO.
The meeting will also include a discussion of energy-related issues discussed during the 2002 legislative session and a review of The Council's energy-related priorities for 2003, said Johnny Evers, The Business Council's legislative analyst specializing in energy.