ASA News

Located in Astoria, Queens, construction on the converter station officially began on June 22, including significant remediation work that was required to prepare the site for construction of this zero-emissions facility. In total, six tanks which previously stored 12 million gallons of No. 6 oil, as well as nearly four miles of piping were removed from the site. During peak construction, approximately 150 union workers will develop the facility with Kiewit Corporation as lead contractor for the site, which is expected to begin operating in 2026.

Construction on CHPE kicked off on November 30, 2022, in Whitehall, New York and since then project crews have been executing and preparing for construction activity throughout New York State. CHPE will provide competitively priced hydropower from Québec that is expected to deliver enough clean energy to power over one million homes and is expected to reduce harmful emissions by 3.7 million metric tons – the equivalent of removing approximately 44 percent of the cars from New York City streets. In addition, the project is also expected to provide a total of $3.5 billion in economic benefits to New Yorkers and create approximately 1,400 family-sustaining jobs during construction, with a commitment to use a significant amount of union labor.

The historic CHPE project was contracted under the State’s first-of-its-kind renewable energy and transmission program, known as Tier 4, which is administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The Tier 4 program is part of the Public Service Commission’s Clean Energy Standard, which is designed to cost effectively and responsibly facilitate the delivery of 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. These communities experience the most significant air quality issues and health impacts from fossil fuel emissions and has a marked need for improved grid reliability and resiliency.

As part of the construction kickoff, CHPE today announced the first recipients of funding from the Green Economy Fund (GEF), a $40 million fund created by Hydro-Québec and Transmission Developers to support disadvantaged communities, low-income individuals, and transitioning fossil fuel workers in accessing and building careers in New York State’s green economy. The GEF’s direction is informed by an Advisory Board made up of experienced local community members, experts in workforce development, and environmental justice leaders across New York State.

Four awards totaling $750,000 will be provided to Pathways to Apprenticeship, Stacks + Joules, Nontraditional Employment for Women, and the NYC District Council of Carpenters Apprenticeship Journeyman Retraining Educational & Industry Fund (AJREIF). These four organizations are focused on workforce development and training initiatives geared towards building an equitable and inclusive climate industry, and the awarded programs have laid out clear paths to high-quality careers for low-income and disadvantaged New Yorkers. The next Request for Proposals as part of the GEF is set for early 2024 and will be focused specifically on training and development programs operating outside of New York City.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Bringing clean energy to the nation’s largest city is a key part of transforming New York State’s electricity grid, and this converter station represents a critical milestone in that effort. The Champlain Hudson Power Express will not only reduce pollution and improve air quality in our most historically vulnerable communities—it also builds on our state’s progress toward realizing a just, equitable, and livable clean-energy economy while supporting the achievement of our ambitious Climate Act goals.”

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “The Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line is accelerating New York’s transition to a cleaner, greener future by delivering reliable energy from Hydro-Québec in Canada to New York City. Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, this milestone to celebrate Climate Week is part of a series of significant investments to advance renewable energy technology in the state, ensure we meet our climate targets, support local jobs, and deliver clean and cost-effective energy to consumers across the state.”

Public Service Commission Chair Rory M. Christian said, "I applaud Governor Hochul's steadfast commitment to projects such as Champlain Hudson that reinforce and strengthen the backbone of our energy system. In addition to ensuring a clean-energy future, projects such as these are strengthening the safety and reliability of the transmission system. Champlain Hudson will play 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."

Renewable energy plays a critical role in the transformation of our power grid while creating a cleaner environment for our future generations.

United States Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk said, “The Champlain Hudson Power Express will deliver cleaner and lower cost power to the people of New York, create clean energy union jobs of the future, and support the Biden-Harris administration investments towards a carbon free power sector by 2035 and decarbonized economy by 2050. I applaud Hydro-Quebec, Transmission Developers, Inc., and all community and government partners on this momentous step forward.”

United States Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said, “EPA is playing a major role in our clean energy transition by encouraging projects similar to this that reduce our reliance on dirty fossil fuels for alternatives that foster new economic opportunities, create jobs, and reduce emissions. President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is helping to mobilize hundreds of billions of dollars in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments.”

Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke said, “I am proud to attend this construction kickoff to represent the important role that my Mohawk community of Kahnawà:ke has played in this project as co-owners of the transmission line on the northern side of the border that will transport clean renewable electricity to the people of New York. Over the past century, our Mohawk ironworkers have helped build up the New York City skyline. And now we have an opportunity to contribute in a different manner as stewards of the environment. As such, Kahnawà:ke is grateful to contribute to New York’s continuing transition towards green energy.”

Premier of Québec François Legault said, “I am proud to inaugurate the converter station which is part of a very important project to reduce GHGs in North America: the Champlain Hudson Power Express. This historic partnership between Hydro-Québec, TDI, the Mohawk Community and the State of New York will link Québec to New York City to export our hydroelectricity for the next 25 years. New York has some of the most ambitious decarbonization targets in the United States, and Québec is proud to help New Yorkers achieve them. Today's inauguration proves that we are reliable and serious as a leader of the energy transition in North America.”

TDI CEO Justin Sauber said, "The start of construction on our New York City converter site is not only a major step forward for the project's construction but also a representation of how crucial CHPE is to decarbonizing our grid and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels to power this great city. Building a zero-emissions converter on a site that once housed millions of gallons of oil is no small feat and we are so grateful to our many partners who have helped us get to this point. We look forward to continuing with construction and bringing CHPE online in 2026." '

Read Full Governor Hochul Press Release Here