NEW YORK – The National Disabled Veterans Business Council and New York Regional Interconnection have joined forces to provide job opportunities for disabled vets while the company moves forward with its plans to build a 190-mile long power line from Oneida County to Orange County.

Under the agreement, members of the business council would work as subcontractors for the prime contractors performing work like procurement, security rights of way and apprentice-type programs, said Council Chairman Joseph Franklin. The prime contractors would employ union labor, he said.

Franklin, who comes from the energy field, said the partnership had nothing to do with the “not in my backyard” issue. “Being that it was me who made the first step and I didn’t know about the NIMBY issues, all I knew is that the was going to be filed with the Public Service Commission and that the only question had to do with was course of line,” said Franklin.

NYRI President Chris Thompson said his company is doing “what every business should be doing, and that is supporting our veterans with jobs. How could our providing jobs for our country’s veterans even be considered cynical? This is the right thing to be doing.”

Thompson is hopeful that the state SPC will rule its application complete and ready for review in the months ahead. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must also pass judgment on the proposal.

Should all approvals be secured, Thompson would hope to break ground in 2010.