Committee reintroduces, then withdraws motion to send letter supporting Propel Energy transmission project

A member of the Initiative Committee reintroduced a motion on Feb. 19 asking the committee to submit a letter of support for the Propel Energy Transmission Project, which the mover said had been presented to the board several times since September. The motion was restated by the mover as: "I am making a motion to submit to write a letter of support for the Propel Energy Transmission Project." The mover noted the prior committee vote had been split (two yes, two abstentions, one no).

Public comment and committee questions centered on whether the project would add new clean energy to the borough or simply move existing power through local neighborhoods. Public commenter Mr. Press urged the committee not to support the proposal, saying the plan "is only going to be moving energy around from Westchester and The Bronx to Long Island" and arguing it would not deliver new generation to the Bronx.

Committee members asked staff to share the project materials and the mover acknowledged the need for more detail. Committee discussion cited the project fact sheet presented by Propel, including the committee’s summary that the proposal "includes approximately 90 miles of new underground submarine transmission lines" and upgrades to substations intended to deliver offshore wind and other clean energy to areas of Long Island and other parts of the region. Members asked for clarification on routing, whether local substations would be altered and whether the project would reduce local supply.

After discussion and a request that Propel or its representative provide a brief, on‑the‑record presentation, the motion maker withdrew the motion so members could review recirculated slides and receive direct answers from project staff. The committee did not vote on the letter; staff were directed to recirculate materials and attempt to obtain a short presentation at a future meeting or at the full board.