Hydro-Quebec wants to nibble on the big apple. After Massachusetts, the state company wants to sell electricity to New York State. If the project continues, that could be his biggest hit yet.
The energy producer announced Wednesday that he and his US partner Transmission Developers are proposing to build a transmission line to partially supply Manhattan and other New York City boroughs with a mix of Quebec hydroelectricity and “renewable electricity” produced in upstate New York.
According to Hydro-Quebec, its project – called Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) – will save roughly 10 terawatt hours of electricity per year, or about a fifth of New York City’s consumption.
Hydro-Québec relies on the green side of the energy it produces. Its president, Sophie Brochow, has also indicated that she wants “to help the country and its city achieve their ambitious climate goals”. “This contribution to clean energy will reduce carbon emissions by about 3.9 million metric tons per year, which is equivalent to removing 44% of cars from New York’s streets,” Hydro-Quebec stresses in a press release.
The project has been submitted to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and is likely to face competition from other projects submitted by renewable energy producers.
Hydro-Quebec described the potential contract as “critical,” but declined to disclose the revenue it expects this project will allow to generate. “We’ve made a series of proposals,” Lyn St. Laurent, a spokeswoman for The Crown Company, explained in an interview with The Canadian Press, before starting the exchange, “I’m not going to give you numbers.”
The agency’s decision is expected to be announced during the third quarter, to be followed by a process of consultation and analysis of successful projects. “Only at that time will we be able to have more clarity about what he will achieve,” M. said.I Saint Laurent.
By comparison, the estimated revenue to be obtained from the contract – described as “historic” – to provide 9.45 TWh of hydropower to Massachusetts annually for 20 years is approximately $ 10 billion. The agreement with New York State extends to 25 years.
Hydro-Quebec also declined to specify the source of renewable electricity to be produced in upstate New York, citing confidentiality agreements.
The most populous state in the northeast has set a goal of reducing its pollutant emissions by 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050, from 1990 levels.
Underground construction
According to the proposal, the transmission line will be completely underground. “Its route begins at the Canadian-American border, at the southern border of Quebec, then passes under Lake Champlain, the Hudson River and the Harlem River before joining the Astoria Substation in Queens, New York,” Hydro-Quebec details. He emphasized that the power line to be built in Quebec would also be underground.I Saint Laurent. It will connect the Hertel substation in La Prairie with the border. Public consultations will be launched in the coming weeks.
From the American side, the project obtained all the permits required to proceed. With construction starting this year south of the border, the state-owned company expects the line to be operational in 2025.
Construction could begin later in Quebec without site delay because the line would be around 60 kilometers, compared to 545 kilometers in the United States.
