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One of the most exciting and innovative projects the Oswego County Legislature is undertaking this year is the establishment of a local power-for-jobs program that will provide low-cost power to new and expanding businesses in the county. The goal of the project is to help create jobs in Oswego County.

The County Legislature is taking the next step toward establishing the program at its next meeting on Sept. 9. The legislature is holding a public hearing, and will vote on proposed changes to a 1983 law that will allow the low-cost power program to move forward.

In 1983, after a successful public referendum, the county adopted a law to establish the Oswego County Public Utility Service. The service was intended to take advantage of potential hydroelectric power that never materialized. The law became dormant and the public utility service was never formed.

The County Legislature now intends to activate this law so that the public utility service can administer the local low-cost power-for-jobs program. The program will distribute 10 megawatts of low-cost power to qualified new and expanding businesses. The county's tax agreement with Entergy requires the company to provide the county with up to 10 megawatts of electricity, at $32 per megawatt-hour, every year from 2005 to 2010. New York State's Power for Jobs program estimates that each megawatt translates into 100 jobs.

To activate the law and make the public utility service a real entity, the law must be amended to create a public utility board. The board will use criteria established by the legislature to solicit, review, and select businesses that are creating new jobs and award them an allocation of low-cost power.

The board will consist of five to seven county residents from throughout Oswego County and will be appointed by the legislature. Board members will represent different areas of the county and various industries. To the greatest extent possible, they will also need to posses knowledge of energy markets, power generation, and the energy industry. The board's powers and duties will be limited to the local-power-for-jobs program.

The public hearing on the proposed changes to the local law will be 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 9 in the Legislative Chambers of the County Office Building located at 46 E. Bridge St., Oswego.

It makes me happy to see the local power-for-jobs program receive bi-partisan support. It is one of the unifying projects of this year's legislature.

Best of all, the program will become an additional incentive for us to market to companies that are considering moving here or expanding their operations. The legislature's goal is to use the program to help us create jobs for Oswego County residents.