Atwell v. Power Authority

92 Misc. 2d 744, 401 N.Y.S.2d 691, 1977 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2610
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 2, 1977
StatusPublished

This text of 92 Misc. 2d 744 (Atwell v. Power Authority) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Atwell v. Power Authority, 92 Misc. 2d 744, 401 N.Y.S.2d 691, 1977 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2610 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1977).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Guy A. Graves, J.

The defendant, Power Authority of the State of New York, hereinafter referred to as the "authority”, has moved for a dismissal of the first cause of action on the ground that plaintiffs failed to state a cause of action. The attorneys for plaintiffs and the authority agree that as to the first cause of [745]*745action, the authority’s motion should be treated as a motion for summary judgment. (CPLR 3211, subd [a], par 7; subd [c].)

The defendant authority had also moved for other relief concerning the second and fifth causes of action; however, on the return date, counsel concurred that the same should be held pending a decision in Matter of Simonds v Power Auth. of State of N. Y. by the Appellate Division, Third Dpartment. That case between plaintiffs similarly situated to those in the instant case and the defendant authority, involves essentially the same issues raised in the plaintiffs’ pleadings.

The plaintiffs are all landowners through whose lands the route of the Fort Covington-Massena-Marcy 765kV transmission line, presently being built by the authority, passes. The defendant authority is a corporate municipal instrumentality of the State of New York, having been established by chapter 772 of the Laws of 1931, as amended, presently title 1 of article 5 of the Public Authorities Law.

On July 11, 1973, the board of trustees of the authority adopted a resolution which read:

"resolved, That the Authority hereby determines pursuant to the power vested in it by section 1005 of the Power Authority Act that there is a need for transmission facilities consisting of (i) a single circuit 765kV transmission line between a point on the international boundary between the United States and Canada approximately two miles east of Fort Covington, New York (or such other point as may be approved by the Federal Power Commission) and a substation to be constructed near Massena, New York, and (ii) a single circuit 765kV transmission line between said Massena substation and a 765kV substation to be constructed in the Town of Marcy, New York, adjacent to or near the Edic substation of Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation, and (iii) two 230 kV transmission lines connecting such 765kV lines with the Authority’s St. Lawrence project in order to permit the exchange of power between the Hydro-Electric Commission of Quebec and the Authority and to interconnect the Authority’s St. Lawrence and Niagara projects; and be it further

"resolved, that the General Manager is hereby authorized to apply to the Federal Power Commission and the International Boundary Commission for approval of such portions of such transmission facilities as are located at the borders of the United States and to the Public Service Commission for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need of [746]*746such facilities pursuant to Article VII of the Public Service Law, and to take all such further action and to make such other applications to Governmental Agencies, both Federal and State as may be necessary or desirable to effectuate the purpose and intent to the foregoing resolution.”

In August, 1973, the authority applied to the Public Service Commission, State of New York, for a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need for the transmission facilities described in the resolution. On February 6, 1976, and June 30, 1976, the Public Service Commission issued to the authority a so-called partial certificate of environmental compatibility and public need for the undertaking of certain phases of construction on certain segments of the proposed transmission lines. The New York State Department of Transportation and the authority acquired easements from the plaintiffs and others along the proposed route of the 765kV transmission line in the name of the People of the State of New York, and for use by the authority, and the authority commenced construction along the route of the line, and construction operations continue to date.

The affidavits submitted on this motion appear to raise no issue of fact concerning the above allegations contained in the first cause of action of plaintiffs’ complaint.

The plaintiffs’ first cause of action further alleges that a controversy exists between the plaintiffs and the defendant authority concerning the right of the authority to construct the said transmission line pursuant to the resolution referred to dated July 11, 1973. The plaintiffs, in effect, allege that the defendant authority had no authority to construct transmission facilities not related "to authority-owned generating stations”. The plaintiffs contend that the principal purpose of the transmission lines is to import electricity generated at facilities (Hydro-Electric Commission of Quebec, Canada) not owned by the authority. The first cause of action further alleges that at the time the trustees of the authority adopted the resolution, they had no authority to construct transmission lines not related to authority-owned generating stations, and that the authority is, therefore, operating in excess of its statutory authority, thereby depriving the plaintiffs of their property without due process of law, in violation of their rights under the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, and section 6 of article I of the New York State Constitution.

[747]*747The primary question raised by the pleadings and affidavits submitted is whether the Power Authority of the State of New York, on July 11, 1973, had the statutory authority to adopt the resolution authorizing the construction of the 765kV transmission line to import electricity from Canada, and to interconnect two of its generating plants. A secondary question is, whether if such authority did not exist at that time were those acts ratified subsequently by enactment of amendatory legislation on May 17, 1974, and subsequent resolutions affirming said project?

The court is mindful that a pleading challenged for legal insufficiency should be construed liberally as to give it every fair intendment possible. However, the court does not assume the truth of any legal conclusions drawn by the pleader or the pleader’s sole interpretation of any statutes that may be involved.

The plaintiffs do not contest or dispute the authority’s right to interconnect its own St. Lawrence and Niagara projects with a 765kV line. The plaintiffs, however, do contest the authority’s right to import power from Canada, and to construct transmission lines in reference to such importation.

In the instant case, the authority and Hydro-Quebec, a Canadian utility company, entered into an agreement, which, among other matters, provides for the importation of power from Quebec during the summer months when there are substantial demands in New York State for power, and the potential exportation of power to Quebec in the winter when Quebec’s power demands are at a peak and New York’s demands are below peak. The plaintiffs, by way of affidavit and memoranda of law, do not deny the above, but contend that the primary purpose is the importation of power. It is the authority’s position that the agreement between the authority and Hydro-Quebec is for the purpose of assisting in maintaining an adequate supply of electric power for the State, since the 765kV line would provide to the St. Lawrence project a connection previously inaccessible to the New York State power grid, thus giving it a direct connection with the southeastern portion of New York State.

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Related

Pauchogue Land Corp. v. Long Island State Park Commission
152 N.E. 451 (New York Court of Appeals, 1926)
Kaskel v. Impellitteri
115 N.E.2d 659 (New York Court of Appeals, 1953)
Cuglar v. Power Authority
4 A.D.2d 801 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1957)
City of Albany v. McMorran
16 A.D.2d 1021 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1962)
Cuglar v. Power Authority
4 Misc. 2d 879 (New York Supreme Court, 1957)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
92 Misc. 2d 744, 401 N.Y.S.2d 691, 1977 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2610, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/atwell-v-power-authority-nysupct-1977.