The construction of the 339-mile Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line that will run from Hydro-Québec in Canada to New York City has been initiated by the government of the state of New York (NYC). The project, which is now being developed by the Transmission Developers, will transport 1.2 gigawatts (GW) worth of sustainable electricity from Hydro-Québec to New York City. During the construction phase, it is anticipated that it will provide 1,400 union jobs and bring $3.5 billion in economic benefits to the state of New York. “I want the rest of the nation to see what we’re doing right here and say, ‘Well that sounded pretty brave, seemed pretty brazen, a little bit out there,'” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “And so, this Champlain Hudson line is an example (of) how we face climate change concerns and energy challenges simultaneously,” said the author of the article, “while, in the meantime, creating excellent jobs for a cleaner, healthier New York.”
It is anticipated that the Champlain Hudson Power Express project will result in a reduction of 37 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions during its first ten years of operation. The first phase of the project will focus on constructing the transmission line over a stretch that is 17.6 miles long and runs across Washington County. This portion of the line will be the longest. It is anticipated that the transmission line will be finished in the year 2026. When it is finished, it will have the capability to carry clean energy in quantities sufficient to power one million homes in the state of New York. The project will also hasten the state’s progress toward attaining its goal under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which is to derive 70 percent of all of its electricity from renewable assets by the year 2030. This target will be accelerated as a result of the project. As part of its 2022 State of the State plan, the New York State Government said earlier this year that it intends to make an investment of $500 million in the offshore wind segment. Among other things, this will be directly invested in offshore wind production, supply chain and port infrastructure, energy generation, and the creation of “green jobs.”