The New York State Public Service Commission has scheduled a virtual public statement hearing for November 19, 2025, to gather input on a petition from Hoffman Falls Wind LLC. The company is seeking approval under Section 68 of the Public Service Law to construct and operate a wind energy facility with an estimated capacity of 100 megawatts in the towns of Fenner, Nelson, Eaton, and Smithfield in Madison County.
Hoffman Falls filed its petition on September 3, 2025. The proposed project is subject to requirements set by the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), which issued a draft permit for the facility earlier this year. The Commission’s review will not revisit matters already addressed by ORES.
Administrative Law Judge Nicholas Planty will preside over the hearing, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Participants wishing to speak must register by November 17, either online through the Department of Public Service calendar or by phone. Those who only wish to listen can do so without registering.
“All participants will be muted upon entry into the hearing. The ALJ will call upon each person who has registered or has asked to make a statement. The ALJ will continue the hearing until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements to submit comments into the record have been made. Reasonable time limits may be set for each speaker as necessary to afford all attendees an opportunity to be heard. It is recommended that lengthy comments be submitted in writing and summarized for oral presentation. A verbatim transcript of the hearing will be made for inclusion in the record of this case.”
Accommodations are available for people with disabilities or those needing language assistance; requests should be made as soon as possible via contacts provided by the Department of Public Service.
In addition to speaking at the hearing, members of the public can submit comments referencing Case “25-E-0554” until December 1, 2025, through several channels including online submission via www.dps.ny.gov, mail sent directly to Secretary Michelle L. Phillips at Three Empire State Plaza in Albany, or by calling a toll-free opinion line set up for this purpose.
“Written comments submitted in accordance with this Notice will be posted on the Department’s website and may be accessed by searching the case number, as described above, and clicking on the ‘Public Comments’ tab.”
A procedural conference will follow immediately after the public statement hearing using the same teleconference connection. This session aims to identify potential parties and allow discussion about procedures moving forward—including whether any issues raised warrant an evidentiary hearing.
