While an effort to increase the electricity supply in Henrietta made headlines this week, even higher-priced projects are in the offing to address supply bottlenecks in Brighton and Penfield.
The projects are outlined in Rochester Gas and Electric filings with the state's utilities regulator. Those were submitted back in November. But Patricia Nilsen, RG&E's president and CEO, mentioned them briefly during a news conference about the Henrietta substation grant held Monday.
The upgrades are intended to address current constraints and expected future loads from housing, commercial and industrial development. And with the increasing popularity – and power demands – of home heat pumps and electric vehicles.
In Penfield, a lack of electric capacity is holding up a request to connect a school bus charging station to the grid.
And in Brighton, Buckingham Properties’ Winfield Park proposal has been at a standstill since 2013. The project would include 470 affordable and market-rate housing units, retail and commercial space, and a 58-acre high-tech business park along Brighton-Henrietta Townline Road.
The proposed substation upgrades still need the approval of the state Public Service Commission. A company spokesperson says that if approved, the projects will have to start by Spring 2026.
A $4.7 million grant from the state will kickstart the Henrietta substation project as RG&E awaits its approval. An RG&E spokesperson said the grant will allow the company to move forward with critical components of the project, such as getting the transformer, while awaiting approvals for its engineering and construction aspects.
The Henrietta project is priced at less than $20 million. The Brighton and Penfield projects have an estimated cost in excess of $30 million each.
