Cross Sound Cable Co., the developer of a high-voltage electric transmission cable across Long Island Sound, scored a major victory last week after Connecticut state lawmakers fell short in their efforts to override a veto of legislation by Connecticut Gov. John Rowland that called for a one-year moratorium on the siting of new electric cables and natural gas pipelines in Long Island Sound and would have been applied retroactively to the Cross Sound Cable project and several gas pipeline projects.

“The House overrode the veto yesterday [Tuesday], but the Senate sustained it, so we are off and running on our project,” Rita Bowlby, vice president for Connecticut government affairs for Cross Sound Cable, told NGI.

The Cross Sound Cable project, a 24-mile cable stretching from New Haven, CT, to Brookhaven, NY, will transport up to 330 MW of direct current power in either direction between Connecticut and Long Island.

Lawmakers endorsed the moratorium legislation earlier this month, but Rowland earlier this month vetoed the measure. Connecticut legislators weren’t expected to have a hard time mustering votes to override Rowland’s veto given the level of support seen in the initial passage of the legislation. But Bowlby said the vote was closer than expected.

In the state house, proponents for overriding the veto won by only a single vote. “It was 102 to 46, and they needed 101 votes,” Bowlby noted. “So it was very close.” In the state senate, the vote tally came in at 22 to 12 “and they needed 24.”

As for the project itself, Bowlby said that Cross Sound Cable remains on schedule. A boat from Sweden that is carrying the cable is due to arrive in New Haven harbor early next month. “We will complete the installation by May 31 and be operational by June 20.”

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