The New York State Public Service Commission will hold a virtual public statement hearing and procedural conference on November 18, 2025. The hearing concerns a petition from Oxbow Hill Solar, LLC, which is seeking lightened regulation as a wholesale electric generator and a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under Section 68 of the Public Service Law.
Oxbow Hill Solar filed its petition on August 21, 2025. The company aims to construct and operate a photovoltaic solar energy generation facility with up to 140 megawatts of capacity in the Town of Fenner, Madison County. The proposed facility would be co-located within the existing Fenner Wind array and connect to the New York electrical grid through a new point at the Fenner Wind array substation. This substation links to National Grid’s Onieda-Fenner and Fenner-Cortland 115 kV lines.
The construction and operation of this facility are subject to terms set by the Siting Permit issued by the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) on July 10, 2025. The Commission’s review will not revisit issues already addressed by ORES.
A virtual public statement hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, November 18, at 2:00 p.m. Participants can join electronically via meetny-gov.webex.com using event number 2819 254 8641 and password Nov18-2pm. Phone-only access is available by dialing 1-929-251-9612 with access code 2819 254 8641 and password 66818027.
Those wishing to comment may make statements during the hearing without pre-registration. Electronic participants should log in at the specified time; phone participants can call in directly. Anyone interested may listen without making a statement by calling in with the provided details.
All participants will be muted upon entry. The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will invite speakers in turn until all who wish to speak have been heard or alternative arrangements are made for submitting comments. Time limits may be set as needed, and lengthy comments should be submitted in writing with summaries presented orally. A verbatim transcript will be included in the case record.
Individuals requiring accommodations due to disabilities should contact the Department of Public Service’s Human Resources Management Office at 518-473-9463 promptly. TDD users can request sign language interpretation via New York Relay Service at 711. For those needing language assistance, free services are available through the Department at 1-800-342-3377.
For those unable or preferring not to speak at the hearing, comments referencing Case “25-E-0541” can be submitted online at www.dps.ny.gov by searching for “Case 25-E-0541” and posting comments there or mailed to Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY, though electronic filing is encouraged. Comments received per these instructions will be posted publicly on the Department website under “Public Comments.”
Additionally, individuals may use the Commission’s Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120 for submitting comments by phone; these are summarized but not transcribed verbatim for consideration by the Commission.
A virtual procedural conference will follow immediately after the public statement hearing as part of the same teleconference session. Its main purpose is to identify potential parties and allow interested persons to propose procedures for how the ALJ and Commission should proceed—including whether an evidentiary hearing is necessary based on facts presented or public input—and address other procedural matters.
