At a special presentation last Wednesday at the Whitehall Castle that included comments by Gov. Kathy Hochul and others and was attended by town supervisors from throughout Washington County and state officials, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and Hydro Quebec and Transmission Developers Inc. announced the start of construction of the 339-mile Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) transmission line, which will bring $3.5 billion in economic benefits to New Yorkers while creating nearly 1,400 jobs during construction.
Once completed, the line, which will travel through Putnam, Dresden, Whitehall, Fort Ann, Hartford, Kingsbury and Fort Edward on its route down to the New York City metropolitan area, will deliver 1,250 megawatts of clean hydroelectricity, enough to power more than 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 each year.
CHPE is expected to be fully operational in the spring of 2026.
The initial stage of construction activities, including site preparation and construction of a laydown yard, will begin near Whitehall and is anticipated to continue through November 2024.
In her comments, Hochul said, “As construction begins on this project to help deliver clean energy to New York City, our state is setting yet another example of what climate action looks like.”
Some 60% of the project route will be in waterways, and 40% will be buried underground. Keeping the high-voltage direct current cables underground will minimize impacts on the environment, avoid the visual impact of overhead transmission projects and minimize electrical energy losses that typically occur with traditional overhead transmission lines, according to a press release.
In addition to providing energy to downstate, the project will provide at least $1.45 billion in new tax revenue over the first 25 years to localities and school districts along the route in New York.
Whitehall Mayor Julie Egan said she was proud that Whitehall would be part of this project: “The construction phase will offer local jobs right here in Washington County and a boost to local businesses. In the long term our residents, students and taxpayers will benefit for years to come through the projected PILOT funds. This project is a win-win, and Whitehall is proud to be a part of it.”
Dave O’Brien, chairman of the Warren-Washington Industrial Development Agency said, “CHPE will bring a substantial benefit to Washington County over the course of the next 30 years. Not only will there be a benefit from the construction and purchase of materials and services alone, there will be $283 million in benefit packages and PILOTS paid to the villages, towns, school districts and the county allowing the jurisdictions to make much-needed major upgrades and improvements in schools, roads, and public facilities.”
