Although the project doesn't directly affect Cayuga County, the announcement this week that the U.S. Department of Energy plans to move forward with two huge electrical transmission projects makes us a bit nervous about the future of reliable energy and how it will be delivered.

One of two corridors deemed to be of “national interest” by the DOE will run through parts of New York, despite vocal opposition by citizens and elected officials alike.

The idea is to deliver reliable electricity to New York City and other metropolitan areas.

The DEO says the project is integral to the economy and to national security.

Critics say the plan will bring greater profits to utility companies while cutting through communities, threatening the environment and trampling on the rights of property owners.

The demand for power is only going to increase as the years go by, and it's unrealistic and irresponsible to keep putting up more power lines to deliver power the old-fashioned way.

The federal government needs to get serious about investing in new technologies that would allow more power to be generated locally.

Windmills have shown promise in some parts of the state; geothermal heating and cooling systems have been proven to work in Auburn and Cayuga County; and the county's anaerobic digester brings the promise of electricity being generated by burning off the gasses captured during the breakdown of cow manure.

It's these kinds of technologies that need to be developed to their full potential, lessening the need for more ugly and disruptive power lines and leaving communities less vulnerable to the safety and economic concerns associated with the unreliability of delivering power from far-off sources.