Major Project Labor Agreement Executed with New York State Building and Construction Trades to Ensure Line is Constructed by Union Workers
Infrastructure Development Expected to Bring $3.5 Billion in Economic Benefits to New Yorkers and Create Nearly 1,400 Family-Sustaining Jobs
Accelerates Progress to Achieve New York's Goal of 70 Percent of Electricity Statewide from Renewable Sources by 2030 on Path to a Zero-Emission Grid
Governor Kathy Hochul today celebrated the start of construction of the 339-mile Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line, being developed by Transmission Developers Inc, to deliver reliable clean energy from Hydro-Québec in Canada directly to New York City. The construction of this green infrastructure project, which begins following the execution of a major union labor agreement between the developer and New York State Building and Construction Trades, is expected to bring $3.5 billion in economic benefits to New Yorkers while creating nearly 1,400 family-sustaining union jobs during construction. Today's announcement accelerates progress to achieve New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to obtain 70 percent of electricity statewide from renewable sources by 2030 on the path to a zero-emission grid.
"As construction begins on this project to help deliver clean energy to New York City, our state is setting yet another example of what climate action looks like," Governor Hochul said. "The Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line is a monumental step toward protecting our environment and creating family-sustaining, green jobs in both upstate and downstate New York. In partnership with union labor, this green infrastructure project will bring billions of dollars in economic benefits to our state and will pave the way for cleaner air and a healthier future for all New Yorkers."
Champlain Hudson Power Express is the first of two historic projects to start construction under the State's first-of-its-kind renewable energy and transmission program, known as Tier 4, that is administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The program aims to responsibly deliver a significant increase of renewable energy to New York City, an area of the state that relies on aging fossil fuel-fired generation located largely in underserved communities, experiences the most significant air quality issues and health impacts from fossil fuel emissions, and has a marked need for improved grid reliability and resiliency. Once completed, Champlain Hudson Power Express will deliver 1,250 megawatts of clean hydroelectricity, enough to power over one million homes, and will reduce carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons statewide, the equivalent of taking over half a million cars off the road every year. The transmission line is expected to be fully operational in the spring of 2026.
This milestone comes after the New York State Public Service Commission approved the project's first Environmental Management and Construction Plan for a 17.6-mile stretch of the transmission route between Putnam and Whitehall. The initial stage of construction activities, including site preparation and construction of a laydown yard, will begin in Washington County, near Whitehall, and is anticipated to continue through November 2024. A map of the transmission line can be found here.
Champlain Hudson Power Express will provide an economic boost to 73 municipalities and 59 school districts throughout New York State with an increase in incremental tax revenue of $1.4 billion in funding for local communities over the first 25 years of the project. In the coming weeks, Champlain Hudson Power Express will begin to disburse funding of nearly $30 million, including:
- $12 million to industrial development agencies in counties hosting the transmission line
- The first $12 million through its $117 million Environmental Trust Fund to finance projects that enhance New York's eastern corridor waterways
- The first $2.5 million to kickstart the $40 million Green Economy Fund to support workforce development and training initiatives in underserved communities
- $2 million to support the construction of the Randall's Island Nature Center and Queens Variety Boys and Girls Club STEM lab/programming.
The Champlain Hudson Power Express and Clean Path NY contracts were approved by the Public Service Commission in April 2022, making them the largest transmission infrastructure developments in New York State in the last 50 years. Together, these projects are capable of generating an expected 18 million megawatt-hours of clean energy per year, or more than a third of New York City's annual electric consumption, while delivering up to $5.8 billion in net societal benefits statewide, inclusive of greenhouse gas reductions and air quality improvements and 10,000 family-sustaining jobs statewide with $8.2 billion in economic development investments, including in disadvantaged communities.
New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2021, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.
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