Minor Changes to Location of Transmission Line Will Not Adversely Impact Environment

ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today granted the request to amend the certificate granted to Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. to construct and operate a 1,000-megawatt (MW) transmission line extending approximately 330 miles from the New York/Canada border to a converter station in Astoria, Queens. The transmission line, estimated by the developer to cost $2 billion, would be built underwater and underground along the entire length of the route, avoiding or minimizing visual and other potential environmental impacts.

“With this decision, we will allow the developer to make minor changes to the certificate to construct and operate a transmission project known as the Champlain Hudson Power Express Project,” said Commission Chair John B. Rhodes. “The transmission of renewable energy will enable the success of the State and New York City legislative programs aimed at curbing greenhouse gases, including the nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.”

With today’s decision, the Commission will allow eight cable routing changes and a minor relocation of the converter station to the project. The developer requested minor changes to the route and of the converter station site to, among other things, avoid shallow water engineering challenges, reduce rock removal and wetland impacts, accommodate community concerns and simplify the design of the converter station and the connecting electrical facilities. Letters in support of the routing amendments were filed by the Towns of Clarkstown, Stony Point, Haverstraw, and the Village of West Haverstraw.

On April 18, 2013, the Commission granted a certificate to Champlain Hudson, authorizing the construction of the project. The project’s HVDC cable system will consist of two solid dielectric (i.e., no insulating fluids) electric cables, each approximately six inches in diameter. The cables will be installed either underwater or underground along the entire length of the project route. The project will have the capacity to transmit 1,000 MWs of electricity to New York City. It is anticipated that the electricity transmitted by the project will be primarily hydroelectric power.

According to the developer, the changes will result in the addition of about 5.8 miles of transmission circuit, or less than 2 percent increase in the total project length. Specific changes to the route include the following:

• relocating the route centerline in the Towns of Putnam and Dresden from underwater through the narrows of Lake Champlain, to upland road right-of-way (ROW);
• relocating the route centerline in the Towns of Fort Ann and Whitehall a short distance from the CSX railroad ROW to parallel alignment within Town road ROW;
• relocating the railroad and street route centerline from the City of Schenectady to the Village of Scotia and the Towns of Rotterdam and Glenville to avoid recently redeveloped areas in downtown Schenectady;
• relocating the route centerline in the Town of Bethlehem outside of the Selkirk railyards to road ROW, railroad ROW, and certain other connecting properties;
• relocating the Catskill Creek crossing in the Town and Village of Catskill;
• relocating the route centerline in the Towns of Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Stony Point and the Villages of West Haverstraw, and Haverstraw from the railway ROW to road ROW and certain other connecting properties; relocating the Astoria-Rainey cable under the streets in Queens, New York City; and
• relocating the converter station site within the Astoria Generating complex in Queens, New York City.

Department of Public Service staff found that the modifications will not result in any material increase in environmental impacts and the proposed modifications to the previously certificated route of the project will not result in a substantial change in the location of all or a portion of the project.

Today’s decision may be obtained by going to the Commission Documents section of the Commission’s Web site at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Number 10-T-0139 in the input box labeled "Search for Case/Matter Number". Many libraries offer free Internet access. Commission documents may also be obtained from the Commission’s Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500). If you have difficulty understanding English, please call us at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this press release.