The news that New York’s senators have introduced a bill aimed at blocking New York Regional Interconnect Inc.’s proposed power line is a welcome development.

Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton have more leverage to help enact such policies than do Rep. Michael Arcuri and other House members, whose anti-NYRI amendment failed earlier this year.

While the Senate legislation must pass many steps to become law, having heavyweights behind it can only help.

However, the object of the bill is the federal Department of Energy, headed by a Cabinet official who serves the president. The department is proposing two national-interest electric transmission corridors, one of which would include this area. Such a corridor would allow NYRI and others the chance to bypass a state ban on their projects. The federal level is the company’s best hope.

To sum up, opponents of NYRI must pursuade the executive branch of the wrongheadness of such a plan.

Whether President Bush will listen is questionable. But wouldn’t a President Hillary Clinton listen? After all, she’s already come out against the NYRI plan (and less strongly against the full corridor proposal).

Schumer is a popular, high-ranking senator, but he can only do so much. However, Clinton is a leading presidential candidate, someone who could derail this project, theoretically, by saying, "In my White House, this corridor shall not go forward." At the least, she could put the DOE on notice that its plan may not be permanent.

We call on Clinton to make such a pledge as part of her presidential aspirations while combating the project through her Senate role. Yes, it’s for the good of millions of people upstate. The implications of this project happening or not are profound, and opposing it would be the right thing to do.

We understand this is politics, presidential politics, and more incentive is needed. How about this?

If former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is nominated by the Republicans, New York is a state in play. The upstate, more-conservative votes will be crucial. Where will he stand on NYRI? Who knows? But if Clinton takes an authoritative stand now, she will boost her credibility as a true representative of upstate interests

These DOE corridors affect most of the Atlantic region states as well as a large portion of the Southwest. Dozens of electoral votes and millions of voters are in the paths of unrestricted energy development for the betterment of private firms. Which presidential candidate will be about protecting them?

Hillary Clinton, this is your chance.