Upstate New York's clean energy grid expands
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced recently the completion of the Central East Energy Connect, a 93-mile long transmission rebuild project.
The upgraded power lines – between the town of Marcy and the town of New Scotland in Albany County – carry nearly five times the amount of electricity as the old lines, enough to power approximately two million homes, officials said.
Paul Segal, CEO of LS Power, said the corridor from the Mohawk Valley to the Capital Region had been congested for decades. “Transmission lines are the arteries for which clean energy flows,” he said. “When we build more transmission, we relieve that congestion.”
About the project
The $600 million project — built for approximately $200 million less than the estimated cost — involved replacing existing lines and wooden poles and building two new stations in Princetown and Rotterdam.
In total, the project removed approximately 1,250 old transmission structures and replaced them with more than 650 steel monopoles. The project also increased the resiliency of transmission lines, strengthening them against extreme weather.
The endeavor was proposed by LS Power and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to improve reliability and access to renewable energy.
“New York State has recognized the need for rapid progress in order to decarbonize our energy system and combat global warming,” said New York Power Authority President and CEO, Justin E. Driscoll. “This requires all hands on deck. Public and private entities are now collaborating and this transmission rebuild project is a strong example of that.”
According to a statement by the governor’s office, the project will allow for the flow of more renewable energy across the state. It will also allow the state to stay on track to meet its clean energy goals of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century.
Central East Energy Connect is part of a larger set of projects across the state, which includes more than 1,000 miles of transmission lines that will maximize the use of renewable energy for parts of the state that rely on fossil fuel plants. Another project, Smart Path Connect, with National Grid between Oneida County and the North Country, is currently in progress and scheduled to be completed in 2025.
New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) President and CEO Rich Dewey praised the completion.
“From a clean energy, economic, and reliability standpoint this project is crucial to help downstate achieve their clean energy goals as well.”
Senator Joseph Griffo also advocated for the project, having served as former chair of the Energy Committee.
“When we talk about investment in infrastructure we often think of roads or bridges but the energy infrastructure demands our attention and resources too.”
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: New transmission lines advances state climate goals
