The shelving Friday of a controversy-charged attempt to build a high-voltage power line from Marcy to Orange County sparked hails of triumph from federal, state and county elected officials who opposed it.

The reactions were tempered by some officials with calls to guard against any further such proposals, and to create a statewide energy policy that they say would eliminate the need for such projects.

The New York Regional Interconnect company said Friday it is suspending its plans for the 190-mile above-ground line, due to a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruling Tuesday that it said would have made the project too risky financially. The NYRI proposal had generated huge storms of protest from multiple upstate communities through which the power line was to pass.

A NYRI statement said that while the company "remains committed to transmission development in New York State, it is suspending its current participation in the New York Public Service Commission...process...for its...project." The FERC decision Tuesday "denying NYRI’s request to review the recently approved rules of the New York State Independent System Operator for transmission tariffs has created an unacceptable financial risk for NYRI’s investors," the statement said.

Under the rules by NYISO, which runs the state’s grid and power market, the power line developers would need approval from a "supermajority" of the electric utilities whose customers would benefit from the project in order to collect back capital costs plus a return on the investment, said a Wall Street Journal report. NYRI’s challenge of the rules stated that utilities, which also develop transmission lines, should not have veto power over a project, the Journal report said; NYRI said several of its potential competitors sit on the independent system operators’ board of directors. But FERC declined to rehear the issue and said the "supermajority" rule was reasonable, according to the Journal.

County Executive Anthony Picente said it is his understanding that NYRI has been directed by the PSC to formally submit its halting of the proposal, and that the overall application process would have to start over again if the company tried in the future for another such project. He credited "the citizen activists of Oneida County and all of our partner counties who have turned out to hearing after hearing" to make sure the PSC "understood the impacts of this project on our area and fully understood the flaws in NYRI’s proposal."

Rep. Michael A. Arcuri, D-24, Utica, said "I only hope that this is not merely another attempt by NYRI to skirt New York State’s authority to deny the project. NYRI must know we will not let our guard down."

Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito, D-116, Rome, said she will "continue to strongly advocate for a comprehensive statewide energy policy that puts the emphasis on generating power near the communities or regions of the state that need it. This will eliminate the need for costly, inefficient power transmission proposals, like the NYRI plan."

State Sen. Joseph A. Griffo, R-47, Rome, noted that three years ago as Oneida County executive he had worked to develop an 8-county coalition against NYRI, and "today I feel vindicated for...all of the resources committed to this fight." He said he will "remain on guard for a return of a proposal like NYRI," adding that "we can never take for granted that someone else will not exploit the state’s lack of a comprehensive energy policy...."

Also applauding the NYRI announcement were Republican county legislators Brian Miller, Ed Welsh, Steve Roefaro, Michael Damsky, Jim D’Onofrio, Richard Flisnik and Emil Paparella. They said in a statement that they joined Picente in "promising to continue to fight any future efforts by NYRI."

NYRI had planned for the line to transport electricity to areas that need new power sources. But opponents questioned its potential impact on local electrical rates as well as on properties neighboring the large towers and power lines to be built.