New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on June 16 announced that the 339-mile Champlain Hudson Power Express, one of New York’s largest transmission infrastructure projects in 50 years, can now deliver energy from Canada directly to New York City.
The 1,250-megawatt High Voltage Direct Current transmission line runs from Montreal, Quebec to the Astoria Energy Complex in Queens and connects to the grid at the newly expanded New York Power Authority Astoria Annex substation.
NYPA also supported Transmission Developers Inc. in their building of a new nearly four-mile underground transmission line, called the Astoria Rainey Cable, that connects the Astoria Annex to Con Edison’s Rainey substation.
“Our congratulations to Governor Hochul and the entire CHPE team on delivering and energizing this vital infrastructure on time,” NYPA President and CEO Justin Driscoll said. “CHPE is already serving as a reliable lifeline for New York City’s power system, providing economic and community benefits for New Yorkers now that will continue for decades to come. We at NYPA are proud to be playing an important role, working closely with our partners at TDI, NYSERDA, and ConEd, in connecting the Champlain Hudson Power Express to New York City’s grid.”
CHPE is expected to deliver 10.4 terawatt-hours of energy per year to the New York Metro area – meeting up to 20% of the city’s needs – and reduce carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons through 2040, Hochul’s office said.
“The CHPE transmission line, part of the Governor’s all-of-the-above approach to energy designed to keep the lights on and costs down for New Yorkers, will help replace the power lost with the closure of the Indian Point nuclear plant. Since Indian Point’s closure, New York City has had to rely more on gas-fired plants that have caused emissions downstate to grow,” a news release said.
The CHPE project, contracted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and developed by Transmission Developers Inc, in partnership with Hydro-Québec, is expected to provide more than $3.4 billion in economic investment over the life of the 25-year contract and has already supported more than 1,400 construction and operations jobs statewide.
Additionally, CHPE’s Green Economy Fund, a $40 million fund, has already awarded $2 million to organizations focused on disadvantaged communities, workforce development and job retraining, intended to facilitate entry into the clean energy economy.
Selected in September 2021 as part of the Tier 4 solicitation administered by NYSERDA, CHPE construction began in 2022.
The CHPE project, which is hosted by many local municipalities and counties, executed multiple project labor agreements totaling more than three million union labor hours. It is the longest fully buried transmission line in North America and was strategically buried underground and underwater to increase long-term reliability and minimize environmental and community impact.
“CHPE is a critical component of New York’s diverse mix of resources and supply infrastructure which supports its State Energy Plan by delivering clean, firm hydropower and renewable energy into a high-demand region, helping relieve congestion, improve system flexibility, and reduce reliance on more expensive gas-powered generation. The State Energy Plan highlights transmission as essential infrastructure for integrating new clean generation at scale and managing future load growth efficiently,” Hochul’s office said.
