Hydro-Québec and Transmission Developers Selected to Partner with New York State to Help Achieve the Clean Energy Transition

October 1, 2021

New York authorities have selected the Champlain Hudson Power Express project (CHPE) to deliver clean hydropower into the heart of New York City. This 1,250-megawatt (MW) influx of clean power, enough to supply over 1 million homes, will start displacing fossil generation in the NYC region as soon as 2025, which is today over 85 percent reliant on fossil fuel-based electricity. 

Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA said, “Building New York’s grid of the future with major green energy infrastructure projects like Champlain Hudson Power Express will strengthen the State’s economic recovery and help to responsibly power New York City with clean, renewable wind and hydropower from Canada by 2025. We look forward to working with our partners at Hydro-Québec and Transmission Developers Inc. to ensure this project results in good paying jobs for New Yorkers and investments in some of the state’s most underserved communities while fast-tracking New York’s path to a zero-emission future.”

“New York is taking a bold step towards decarbonization,” said Hydro-Québec President and CEO Sophie Brochu. “By selecting the CHPE transmission line project, the State will be reducing carbon emissions as soon as 2025 and building the long-term backbone infrastructure needed to support local renewable energy, all the while making sure that local communities receive direct benefits.” 

“We are honored that our permitted, fully buried, construction-ready transmission project has been chosen to join other important renewable projects as the State and City work toward achieving their important climate mandates, said TDI CEO Don Jessome. “We commend Governor Hochul, NYSERDA president and CEO Doreen M. Harris, Mayor de Blasio and the many leaders in New York City, the State Senate and Assembly and local communities for their commitment to bringing new clean energy to New York State. We look forward to quickly delivering the project’s benefits, including new jobs, cleaner air, new tax dollars, and increased economic activity to New York State as soon as possible.” 

“Since our initial investment in this project over 10 years ago, we have worked closely with our partners to achieve a widely supported project that we believe will deliver consistent, reliable, clean power to New York,” said Bilal Khan, Senior Managing Director of Blackstone Energy Partners. “We are thrilled that the project has been chosen to help New York achieve its ambitious climate goals.”

Building a clean energy project – together 

The CHPE project comes with a long list of economic benefits, including the $40 million Green Economy Fund, designed to support residents living in disadvantaged and frontline communities by providing them with new job training opportunities that will help them take advantage of New York‘s transition to a green economy and the $117 million Environmental Trust Fund, which is focused on improving the health of Lake Champlain and the Hudson and Harlem Rivers.

This innovative buried infrastructure project has been endorsed by labor unions, business organizations, elected officials, municipalities, environmental organizations, academics, and others.

Additionally, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, an Indigenous community located south of Montréal, and Hydro-Québec will share ownership of the transmission line in the province of Québec, which will connect to the CHPE. This will secure economic benefits for the community over a 40-year period. 

Next steps 

This project was selected for contract negotiation as part of the award under New York State Energy Research Development and Authority’s (NYSERDA) Tier 4 renewable energy solicitation issued in January 2021. Once finalized, NYSERDA will submit the negotiated contract for the awarded project to New York’s Public Service Commission for consideration. If the Tier 4 contract is approved, NYSERDA payments will commence once the project is constructed and begins delivering power to New York City, which is expected to begin in 2025.  

Source