Progress cited in St. Regis electricity expansion

HOGANSBURG — The effort by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and National Grid to expand electrical service to the reservation and the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino is moving along well, officials say.

"We have seen a significant amount of demand growth on the reservation, both casino and non-casino, and have been working closely with the Tribal Council to address that issue," said Alberto Bianchetti, a National Grid spokesman. "Since 2003-2004, we've seen an unprecedented load growth rate on the reservation, a rate that's four to five times the growth rate we are used to in the north country."

To meet that need, National Grid has built a substation just south of the reservation and expects to finish construction this summer of a substation just west of the reservation, Mr. Bianchetti said.

"We also are in the design phase of additional infrastructure investments to meet the anticipated growth from the casino expansion," he said. "Plans are moving ahead quickly and we think we are in a position to keep in step with that."

Mr. Bianchetti was referring to the $75 million expansion of the casino, Phase 1 of which is nearing completion. The expansion includes the construction of a 200-room hotel.

Two years ago the casino installed a generator to help meet its power needs, said Joseph A. Trombley, casino spokesman. The generator is mainly used when National Grid informs the casino about the potential for heavy spikes in usage or on extremely warm days.

"Generators will supply us with more than enough power to deal with any expansion," he said.

Relying on generators is not cost-effective, but it is necessary, Mr. Trombley said.

"It's very frightening, but we have a commitment to our guests," he said. "We're a 24-hour operation and can't be without power."

The tribe has had to prioritize how electrical service will be apportioned on the reservation, with residential customers getting a higher priority, said James W. Ransom, one of three chiefs on the Tribal Council.

"Where we're running into difficulties is with our cigarette manufacturing plants," he said. "Almost all of them are on generators."

The reservation has three or four licensed cigarette plants, he said.

The installation of the second National Grid substation should meet the reservation's power needs, except for the casino, Mr. Ransom said.

"We are working with National Grid to provide additional power to the casino as part of the expansion," he said. "We're planning construction of a 5 or 6 megawatt substation just to service the needs of the casino. That's probably at least a year away."

National Grid is in the design stage of that effort, Mr. Bianchetti said.

"On a parallel path, we're continuing negotiations on a franchise agreement with the tribe," he said. The agreement would replace a 1946 Global Service Agreement between the tribe and Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., National Grid's north country forerunner.

The tribe also is negotiating with the state over getting low-cost hydropower for the reservation, possibly from the 12 megawatts the state has allocated to the General Motors Powertrain plant in Massena. The plant is scheduled to close later this year.

"We're not dictating where the power comes from," Mr. Ransom said, adding that the tribe has been talking with the governor's office and the New York Power Authority.

The North Country Redevelopment Task Force, as one option, has been discussing earmarking 5 megawatts of the GM power, referred to as preservation power, for the casino. The task force, also known as the GM Task Force, was created in response to the announced closing of the Powertrain plant.