Construction Starts on Hydropower Transmission Lines to New York City
The highly anticipated construction of the 339-mile transmission line that will carry green energy from Hydro-Québec in Canada directly to New York City began on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. The Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line, being developed by Transmission Developers Inc., is “expected to bring $3.5 billion in economic benefits to New Yorkers while creating nearly 1,400 family-sustaining union jobs during construction” according to the press release by Governor Hochul’s office. The start of construction “accelerates progress to achieve New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to obtain 70% of electricity statewide from renewable sources by 2030 on the path to a zero-emission grid.” Expected to be fully operational in the spring of 2026, the new transmission line will deliver 1,250 megawatts of clean hydroelectricity — enough to power over one million homes and reduce carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons statewide. The first of two historic projects to start construction under the State’s first-of-its-kind renewable energy program, known as Tier 4, the Champlain Hudson Power Express aims to “responsibly deliver a significant increase of renewable energy to New York City.”