6.20.24 - PSC Approves Amendment and Environmental Management and Construction Plan for the Champlain Hudson Project
' ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today amended the permit issued to Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. and CHPE Properties, Inc. (Champlain Hudson) with respect to cable installation requirements within the maintained Federal navigation channel in the Hudson River and approved the corresponding environmental management and construction plan for cable installation within the Hudson River. The approved amendment requires a 9-foot separation between the federally authorized depth of the Federal navigation channel and the top of the cables.
“Approving this change will help the development of the Champlain Hudson project,” said Commission Chair Rory M. Christian. “In addition to helping ensure a clean energy future, the Champlain Hudson project plays a key role in our comprehensive plan to modernize our State's transmission system so that it delivers clean energy to all New Yorkers, while advancing our climate goals and creating clean-energy jobs.”
The Champlain Hudson project is a high voltage, direct current transmission line extending approximately 330 miles from the New York/Canada border to a converter station in Astoria, Queens County. On February 9, 2024, the project developers filed a petition with respect to the cable installation requirement within the maintained Federal navigation channel in the Hudson River. Project developers said the amendment would resolve an inconsistency between the original certificate, which requires 15 feet of separation from the federally authorized depth to the top of the cables, and the permit issued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, which requires a separation distance of 9 feet from the federally authorized depth of the Federal navigation channel to the top of the cables.
The developers also said the amendment was needed due to engineering and environmental constraints that make it impracticable to achieve 15 feet of separation between the federally authorized depth of the Federal navigation channel to the top of the cables in particular locations along the Hudson River.
After reviewing the public comments that were received, and the existing permit requirements of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Commission approved the amendment request. In its determination, the Commission found that the change to the separation requirement within the maintained Federal navigation channel in the Hudson River will not result in any material change in environmental impacts or a substantial change in location.
In conjunction with the approval of the petition amendment, the Commission approved plans for Segment 19B, which includes pre-installation grapnel runs, and installation and protection of underwater high voltage direct current cables in the Hudson River. Segment 19B is divided into two geographic areas: (1) the Cementon-Stony Point Hudson Marine Segment, which is approximately 67.5 miles long beginning in the Town of Catskill, Greene County, and ending in the Town of Stony Point, Rockland County, and (2) the Congers-Harlem Hudson Marine Segment, which is approximately 21.6-miles long beginning in the Hamlet of Congers, Town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, and ending at the confluence of the Harlem River.
Construction of the 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, is underway. The project is expected to bring $3.5 billion in economic benefits to New Yorkers while creating nearly 1,400 family-sustaining union jobs during construction and was competitively selected under Tier 4 of the State’s Clean Energy Standard, as a key project that will help 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.
The project is expected 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. '