Hydro-Québec and Transmission Developers to deliver renewable energy to New York

Hydro-Québec has partnered with Transmission Developers Inc. to develop the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE), which would link Hydro-Québec’s existing hydropower facilities as well as upstate renewable generation to New York City. The proposals submitted to NYSERDA offer the following alternatives:

• 100% clean hydropower deliveries from Québec, Canada, over the new direct transmission line.
• A combination of New York renewable energy and Québec clean hydroelectricity via an additional converter station, or on-ramp, to be constructed in New Scotland, New York.

These proposals would supply New York City with up to 1250 MW of renewable power – enough electricity for more than 1.2 million homes. This clean power influx will reduce carbon emissions by approximately 3.9 million tpy, equivalent to removing 44% of cars from New York City streets. The positive impacts will be particularly evident in environmental justice communities, where the project will substantially decrease harmful local air pollutants that affect respiratory health. Specifically, CHPE will decrease localised air pollutants emitted by burning fossil-fuel for electricity generation by 20% throughout the state in its first year of operations. Half of this decrease will occur in New York City, where most fossil-fuel peaker plants are located in or adjacent to disadvantaged communities.

The permitted CHPE transmission line is the only project sufficiently advanced to begin construction in 2021 and commence operations and begin reducing generation from downstate fossil fuel plants by 2025. The new transmission line is entirely underground or underwater, originating in southern Québec and making its way under Lake Champlain and the Hudson and Harlem rivers to a substation in Astoria, Queens, New York. World class construction specialists have recently signed exclusive contracts with CHPE.

The clean energy infrastructure is expected to create more than 1400 new construction jobs for New Yorkers and result in approximately US$50 billion in total estimated economic benefits for the state from 2021 to 2050.

Moving New York away from fossil fuels

Renewable energy delivered over CHPE can replace over half of the emission free power generated by the recently retired Indian Point nuclear facility. The loss of Indian Point has resulted in an increased use of fossil generation, particularly in New York City where, by the end of this year, as much as 85 - 90% of the power produced will come from carbon emitting sources.

Delivering base-load clean power from Hydro-Québec and Upstate renewables into New York City can reduce fossil-fuel use and provide a flexible energy resource that can maximise New York's ability to efficiently integrate the planned development of offshore wind. Over the long-term, Hydro-Québec's existing hydropower system can act as a natural battery to complement New York's future buildouts of local renewables such as Upstate wind, solar, and offshore wind.

Building a clean energy project – together

The widely supported CHPE will be constructed using union labour and has committed to hiring from local workforces with a focus on a diversity and expanded recruitment from disadvantaged communities. This innovative buried infrastructure project has been endorsed by labour unions, business organisations, elected officials, environmental organisations, academics, and others.

The proposal also includes the creation of the Green Economy Fund (GEF). The GEF will help create a new green-energy workforce by funding clean-energy jobs-training programmes for disadvantaged and frontline communities and those currently underrepresented in the construction industry, including BIPOC and women, as well as provide access to retraining for those currently employed in the fossil fuel industry.

“Hydro-Québec has supplied New York State with clean, always-on, affordable hydropower for decades, said Sophie Brochu, president and CEO of Hydro-Québec. The CHPE proposal can expand this relationship to help the state and city meet their world-leading climate goals, all the while supporting the co-ordinated US-Canada approach to encourage the development of cross-border clean electricity transmission.”

"Our permitted, fully buried, construction-ready transmission project is certainly the most viable option for New York. CHPE provides a vital link to unleash low-carbon, cost-effective electricity from the Québec system and Upstate to decarbonise New York City" said Don Jessome, CEO of Transmission Developers Inc.

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