The Peru Gazette

The 1,250-megawatt High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission line runs from Montreal, Quebec to the Astoria Energy Complex in Queens. It will meet up to 20% of NYC’s energy needs

Albany, June 16, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the 339-mile Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE), one of New York’s largest transmission infrastructure projects in 50 years, can now deliver reliable, clean energy from Canada directly to New York City. CHPE is expected to deliver 10.4 terawatt-hours of clean energy per year to the New York Metro area – meeting up to 20% of the city’s needs – and reduce carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons through 2040. This will provide significant public health benefits by reducing harmful emissions and local air contaminants in New York City, and, in particular, historically underserved communities.

“The Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line is one of the first projects I championed as Governor, and is a game changer when it comes to keeping the lights on, helping build a cleaner future and holding costs down,” Governor Hochul said. “With its completion, we are powering 1 million New York City homes with needed clean energy that will serve communities for generations to come. This project is further proof that despite the unprecedented federal headwinds we are facing, New York will remain a national climate and clean energy leader into the future.”

The CHPE project, contracted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and developed by Transmission Developers Inc, in partnership with Hydro-Québec, is expected to provide more than $3.4 billion in economic investment over the life of the 25-year contract and has already supported more than 1,400 family-sustaining construction and operations jobs statewide. Additionally, CHPE’s Green Economy Fund, a $40 million fund, has already awarded $2 million to organizations focused on disadvantaged communities, workforce development and job retraining, intended to facilitate entry into the clean energy economy.

Selected in September 2021 as part of the Tier 4 solicitation administered by NYSERDA, CHPE construction began in 2022. The 1,250-megawatt High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission line runs from Montreal, Quebec to the Astoria Energy Complex in Queens and connects to the grid at the newly expanded New York Power Authority Astoria Annex substation. NYPA also supported TDI in their building of a new nearly four-mile underground transmission line, called the Astoria Rainey Cable (ARC), that connects the Astoria Annex to Con Edison’s Rainey substation.

The CHPE project, which is hosted by many local municipalities and counties, executed multiple project labor agreements totaling more than three million union labor hours. It is the longest fully buried transmission line in North America and was strategically buried underground and underwater to increase long-term reliability and minimize environmental and community impact.

CHPE is a critical component of New York’s diverse mix of resources and supply infrastructure which supports its State Energy Plan by delivering clean, firm hydropower and renewable energy into a high-demand region, helping relieve congestion, improve system flexibility, and reduce reliance on more expensive gas-powered generation. The State Energy Plan highlights transmission as essential infrastructure for integrating new clean generation at scale and managing future load growth efficiently.