In September 1962, the Consolidated Edison Company announced plans to build a pumped storage facility, the largest of its kind in the world, at Storm King Mountain near Cornwall, New York. The initial application for license to construct the plant was filed with the Federal Power Commission in January 1963. Some three years later the Hudson River Valley Commission was formed by Governor Rockefeller and his staff to regulate development along the Hudson River. Widespread public concern over the social and economic impact of urban sprawl, the deterioration of scenic beauty and natural resources along the Hudson and the economic stagnation of many riverfront communities led to the creation of HRVC. The Commission was directed by law to review proposed projects within its jurisdiction “which would destroy or substantially impair significant historic or recreational resources or bring about a major change in the appearance or use of the water in the Hudson River or the surrounding land.” (From the pamphlet “What is the Hudson River Valley Commission” 105 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591, Series 4, Box 7, Folder 315 in the Seymour Collection, Archives and Special Collections, James A. Cannavino Library, Marist College) Consolidated Edison’s proposed pumped storage facility at storm King Mountain was one such project. The Hudson River Valley Commission itself did not have veto powers or the power of condemnation, however it did have the responsibility to expose a potentially damaging project to public scrutiny at an early stage.

The Storm King case lasted for 17 years, and with input from the Hudson River Valley Commission a decision was finally reached. In a negotiated settlement in December 1980, Consolidated Edison agreed to drop the plan for the Storm King facility.

The lengthy and controversial case set important precedents in environmental law and is generally credited with spawning the modern environmental movement.