The Public and Powerline

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NO, NOT THE END

The people of upstate New York had lost the battle for their land and the right of self-determination. The powerline was completed and activated, and-on September 1, 1978Doris Moeller sadly wrote: "The serenity of early morning on our North Country farm was shattered forever today. The nearest cable is 1,000 feet away from our house, but the current it carries sounds like a swarm of bees ... there must be a lot of electricity zapping off that powerline."

Yes, the New York fight to stop the Quebec-to-Utica 765 was unsuccessful ... but, amazingly enough, the struggle did kindle many positive results. PASNY's chairman-tired of dealing with such pub lic pressure-agreed to scuttle all plans for future 765's during his tenure. Along with that, the New York legislature passed a law demanding that the Power Authority henceforth show proper need for any proposed construction projects.

The powerline struggle also had an unforeseen impact on the future of nuclear power in upstate New York. This surprising side effect came about after the local residents realized that one feasible purpose for building such a gigantic powerline (after all, the capacity of the 4,000megawatt line was five times the power PASNY had contracted to buy from Canada) could be to carry electricity from atomic reactors in the North Country. Folks then investigated the utility's long-range planning documents and found that-sure enough-PASNY intended to build complexes of nuclear plants in the sparsely populated region. Resistance . spawned by that discovery helped persuade the state's governor to order a statewide moratorium on atomic plant construction.

The 765 fight had other, more subtle benefits for the North Country as well. As a result of the struggle, the people in the area were united in a way they had never been before . . . ready to resist effectively any other major government intrusions and eager to use their new-found togetherness for positive self-help projects (such as establishing a regional food producers' coop).

The upstaters also began to explore energy alternatives. Small solar, insulation, and recycling businesses started springing up in the region. In addition, one former line-fighting coalition (Upstate People for Safe Energy Transmission) created a cooperative sun-power workshop in order to educate themselves about do-it-yourself solar projects. And individual North Country families like the Moellers-who now heat their domestic water with their wood stove-began exploring other home-sized energy options.

On a large scale, the 765 power struggle in New York also became-as the locals there proudly point out-an inspiration and source of instruction for other groups engaged in powerline fights. The New Yorkers have helped coalitions from Minnesota to Australia learn the potential hazards of giant electric lines and ways to resist the unfair encroachment of big government on small farmers' lives.

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