The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) says it is seeking public comment on a joint proposal filed by Champlain Hudson Power Express Inc. and CHPE Properties for approval to construct a 1 GW transmission line that will deliver wind energy and hydropower from the Canadian border to New York City.
The PSC may adopt, adopt with changes, or reject any of the terms of the pending proposal. The commission also may adopt terms other than those proposed. Members of the public may provide their comments at public statement hearings.
The proposed transmission facility will originate underwater at the international border between the U.S. and Canada and ultimately terminate in Astoria, N.Y. It will be either underwater or underground for the majority of its length. The facility's transmission lines will be comprised of two solid dielectric cables, each approximately six inches in diameter.
The facility will deliver 1 GW of electricity, supplied primarily by new wind and hydroelectric generating sources from Quebec, Canada, to New York City. In addition to the transmission lines, the facility will also include a converter station and a three-mile-long high-voltage alternating-current cable circuit from the Astoria Annex to the Rainey Substation in Astoria, N.Y.
The proposal provides for the establishment of a trust to fund the study and mitigation of any possible impacts that the facility's underwater cables may have on the habitat in the Hudson, Harlem and East Rivers, Lake Champlain, and their tributaries. The proposal also includes obligations, conditions and requirements that would apply to the construction and operation of the facility.
