ALBANY – The state attorney general’s office has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy, contending that it is taking the approval process for new power lines away from the states.

New York Regional Interconnection wants to build a 190 mile long power line from Oneida County to Orange County and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo maintains the DOE’s action was taken without proper environmental review and could harm residences, businesses and natural resources in the region of the proposed NYRI line.

New York Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther backs Cuomo’s action.

“This is important for all of us especially in Sullivan County where most of NYRI’s energy line is going,” she said. “I am glad to see the attorney general taking such a proactive part in stopping NYRI.”

Senator John Bonacic also applauded Cuomo’s legal move. “It is obvious that our federal representatives have left the heavy lifting to fight NYRI to those of us at the state level,” he said. “There has been a real non-partisan effort by all of us at the state level to protect property rights by ensuring projects like NYRI do not take blight our local communities. At the state level, we have gotten results.”