Transmission line could bring Essex County $82 million over 30 years

ELIZABETHTOWN | Essex County and its lakeside governments could reap $82 million over the next 30 years from a proposed submerged powerline connecting the hydroelectricity plants of Quebec to New York City, a company executive told supervisors at their June 14 meeting. The Champlain Hudson Power Express project is among a handful of proposals submitted by private companies to supply renewable energy to New York city power customers. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is expected to pick the winning bid or bids later this year. The competition primarily comes from in-state concerns whose plans call for transmitting solar and wind energy from north and west of the city, which is currently up to 90% dependent on fossil fuels. The Cuomo administration has set lofty benchmarks toward the goal of carbon neutrality, but NYSERDA says those objectives will be difficult to meet unless energy from upstate renewables can be transmitted to the city. Among the bidders hoping to accomplish this is a partnership of Hydro-Québec and Transmission Developers Inc., which would spool 339 miles of direct current cable primarily under Lake Champlain and the Hudson River. The DC power, which is optimal for long-distance transmission, would be converted to AC at its destination for commercial and household use. "This Project offers New York an opportunity to take a massive 1,250 MW step forward in realizing the ambitious climate goals that the Empire State has set for itself under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and build the foundations for a cleaner and more equitable and prosperous energy future for all New Yorkers," the project sponsors wrote in their bid documents. Essex County governments would benefit from a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement on behalf of the developers. The line would run offshore along 57 miles of the county lake bottom. The PILOT takes the place of taxes that would normally be levied on the value of the improvements. The revenue would be divided among the county, lakefront towns, and schools. Josh Bagnato, vice president of project development for Transmission Developers Inc., said the line would lie on the lake bottom at depths deeper than 150 feet; at depths less than 150 feet, it will be trenched. Bagnato said the impact of the six-inch cable is minimal, and there is little that can go wrong. If somehow the tough insulation is breached, the line shuts down immediately, and it does not have the risk of transporting fossil fuel. "Nothing is going to burn or leak or spill," he said. The technology has been proven, particularly in offshore, European wind farms. More complex than the technology in some ways is the arduous permitting and government negotiating processes. "There are lots of moving parts," said Jody Olcott, co-director of the Essex County Industrial Development Agency. According to bid documents, Champlain-Hudson "is the only project with all major permits in hand, agreements in place with world-class HVDC contractors, and a guaranteed cable manufacturing slot, allowing construction launch in 2021 and full operations between Hydro-Québec and New York City in 2025." The project would reduce carbon emissions by 3.9 metric tons annually, the equivalent of removing 44 percent of cars from New York City streets. .

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Transmission line could bring Essex County $82 million over 30 years

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