The U.S. Department of Energy has announced that an Environmental Impact Statement, including regional public scoping sessions, is necessary for a proposed 2,000 megawatt high-voltage direct current line from Quebec down to NYC and southwestern Connecticut. Locally, the line will essentially run under the bed of the Hudson River, between Greene and Columbia counties, after entering the river in Coeymans.... Locally, the two scoping session meetings are at Kingston and Albany.Their format will be in two parts, first an informal workshop discussion that is not recorded, and then a formal taking of comments with a court stenographer. The Kingston one is Tuesday, July 13, at the Holiday Inn, 503 Washington Ave., from 7-9 p.m., and the Albany one is Wednesday, July 14, at the Holiday Inn, 205 Wolf Road, from 7-9 p.m. The public scoping period officially started Friday, June 18, with publication of the notice in the Federal Register, and will run until Aug. 2. Attendance at any of the scoping sessions is not required to provide input, as written comments received or postmarked by Aug. 2 will be equally considered. Requests to provide oral comment at a scoping session can be written to DOE on or before July 6, which will yield priority in the speaking order, but requests to speak may also be made at the meetings. Comments on the scope of the EIS and/or requests to speak should be sent to Dr. Jerry Pell, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE-20), U.S. DOE, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585, or by e-mail to Jerry.Pell@hq.doe.gov. Additionally, all comments received will be summarized by DOE in a Scoping Report, which will afterwards be available for distribution, including electronically. To view the complete application, including maps and drawings, visit http://www.oe.energy.gov/permits_pending.htm, and select PP-362 (Application). Read the entire story in The Daily Mail.