Governor Cuomo Announces Two New Energy Projects in the North Country
New York – October 14, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Cuomo announced the approval of two North Country energy projects that will help improve the reliability of electricity transmission in the region and throughout the state.
The actions call for the replacement of an aging cable between New York and Vermont that travels under Lake Champlain, and funding to license and design the rebuild of the 85-mile Moses-Adirondack transmission lines, which are more than 70 years old.
“These projects will help create a modern, more reliable and more resilient power grid for the North Country and New York as a whole,” Governor Cuomo said. “This administration has taken significant steps to rebuild this state’s energy infrastructure and we remain committed to creating one of the most innovative power grids in the country.”
The first project is a $68 million replacement of transmission cables that connect a New York Power Authority substation in Plattsburgh to a substation in Milton, Vt., owned by the Vermont Electric Power Co. The line is capable of two-way transmission so one utility could bolster the other’s supply on peak demand days. Vermont Electric will help pay for the project.
The work includes the design, fabrication and installation of new terminal structures at the substations as well as the replacement of 1.7 miles of cables along the bottom of Lake Champlain. Four new cables are being installed to replace some that were originally installed in the 1950s and 1970s. The new cables can support increased energy demand and will have fiber-optic capability for current and future communications needs.
The second project is the first phase of SMART Path, the replacement of the New York Power Authority’s Moses-Adirondack transmission lines. They run 85 miles from Massena, home to the St. Lawrence-FDR hydroelectric plant, to a substation in Croghan, Lewis County. The 230 kV lines were built by the federal government in 1942 and were acquired by the New York Power Authority in 1953.
The route for all but eight miles of the lines travels on outmoded wooden structures that need to be replaced periodically. New 230 kV lines on steel structures that will sit on concrete foundations will be installed. All construction is expected to be on the existing right-of-way in order to minimize the impact on the environment and adjacent property.
These projects are part of the New York Energy Highway Blueprint initiative, an important building block under the Governor’s Reforming the Energy Vision, which works to ensure the state’s power grid is the most advanced in the nation and promote increased business investment in New York.
The projects were approved by the New York Power Authority Board of Trustees, and are also consistent with the Governor’s Reforming the Energy Vision strategy, which is pioneering a new statewide approach to spur clean energy innovation, bring in new investments, and improve consumer choice by creating a safe, clean and affordable energy infrastructure that creates jobs and provides economic development.
“The Lake Champlain cables and the Moses-Adirondack lines play an integral role in the reliability of the State’s electric supply,” said Gil C. Quiniones, New York Power Authority President and CEO. “The end result will be systems that will not only expand the State’s electric capacity, but do so by deploying state-of-the-art technology while having a minimal impact on the environment.”
The New York Power Authority owns and operates approximately one-third of the state’s high-voltage power lines, and has transmission assets and facilities that date back to the 1950s, including these cables. The first project is part of a $726 million, multi-year transmission life extension and modernization effort launched by the New York Power Authority in 2012 as part of the Energy Highway Blueprint.
For the second project, the trustees ratified a $2.76 million contract with Louis Berger & Associates, P.C., a New York firm, to shepherd the licensing review, which is expected to take about two years. Construction on the line is slated to begin in 2018 and last until 2023. When completed, technological improvements that are part of SMART (Strengthening Moses-Adirondack with Resilient Technology) Path will ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity on high-demand days.
Reforming the Energy Vision is Governor Cuomo’s strategy to build a clean, resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers. It is transforming New York’s energy policy with new state-wide initiatives and regulatory reforms. Reforming the Energy Vision will grow the state’s clean energy economy, support innovation, ensure grid resilience, mobilize private capital, create new jobs and increase choice and affordability for energy consumers. It places clean, locally produced power at the core of New York’s energy system. This protects the environment and supports the State’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% while generating 50% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030.
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