A key lawmaker on energy policy says a company planning to run a transmission line to send New York City lower-cost Canadian electricity will also explore sharing that line with upstate utilities.
Meanwhile, western New York Republicans are criticizing the plan for the line under Lake Champlain and the Hudson River, saying upstate energy production should be expanded before relying on Canadian power.
Assembly Energy Committee Chairman Kevin Cahill released a letter to The Associated Press that says Transmission Developers Inc. has agreed to look at creating branches of the power line that could provide upstate power producers and wind farms a way to sell power to New York City.
But Republican Sen. George Maziarz of hydropower-rich Niagara County says Friday the focus should be on expanding upstate energy capacity.
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