Proyect will bring up to 1.000 megawatts of renewable power

The Camplain Hudson Power project will bring up to 1.000 megawatts (MW) of clean, renewable power 

The U.S. Department of Energy has approved the final environmental impact statement for the 336-mile, 1000-megawatt Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line across the U.S.-Canada border near Champlain, New York, extending to New York City. The high-voltage direct current line, mostly underwater, will use Canada hydro to shave 2-3% off New York City’s power bills and provide needed additional electric capacity.

Assuming final permits are granted, the CHPE line will run under Lake Champlain and the Hudson, Harlem, and East Rivers. Overland, it will follow railroad and roadway rights-of-way (see map). The Canada hydro line will comprise two transmission cables, ancillary aboveground cooling stations, and a new converter station in Queens, New York, that will interconnect with the city’s electrical grid at two points. Commercial operation is expected in 2017.

Savings and benefits for New York

Albany-based Transmission Developers Inc. states that its new line will cut New York City consumer and business energy bills by $650 million annually. Rates from Long Island to Albany will also decline, according to the company’s calculations. Aside from its financial benefit, the Canada hydro line is expected to achieve the following:

§Provide additional new transmission infrastructure capacity into New York City using non-visible cables,

§  Reduce air pollution and GHG emissions by lowering peak-hour fossil-fueled transmission,

§  Bring smart-grid-compatible HVDC technology to the region, improving reliability of the metro grid, and

§  Reduce the dependence of the New York City area on coal, oil, and natural gas.

In a prepared statement, TDI CEO Donald Jessome credited the Department of Energy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, Coast Guard, EPA, and the NYS DEC and Public Service Department for years of intensive review and analysis of the line’s impacts to 18 environmental features.

“A great many people within these agencies and at the state and local level went to great effort evaluating the project…. The CHPE transmission line will provide clean, affordable power while minimizing community and environmental impacts, and it offers a creative solution to meet the energy challenges of the future.”