The New York State Public Service Commission approved the New York Energy Solution Project – a 54.5-mile, 345-kilovolt transmission line valued at an estimated $530 million – starting in Rensselaer County and extending to Dutchess County.
The commission also granted NextEra Energy Transmission New York the necessary approvals to exercise municipal agreements to construct the Empire State Line – a 20-mile, 345-kilovolt electric transmission line, located in Niagara and Erie counties and valued at an estimated $180 million.
These approvals are the final set of major approvals required to commence construction on the 250 miles of the green energy transmission superhighway this year.
The New York Energy Solution Project transmission project, owned by New York Transco, will alleviate electricity bottlenecks that currently exist and allow for greater use of clean energy produced upstate, while also improving grid resiliency and storm hardening. It will upgrade and replace existing 80-year-old structures with about 230 fewer, more modern structures. The project will be in existing electric transmission corridors or on adjacent utility-owned land in the Town of Schodack in Rensselaer County; the Towns of Stuyvesant, Stockport, Ghent, Claverack, Livingston, Gallatin, and Clermont in Columbia County; and the Towns of Milan, Clinton, and Pleasant Valley in Dutchess County.
The Empire State Line will help relieve congestion and maximize the flow of renewable resources in Western New York, including hydroelectric power from the New York Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project, and from electricity imports from Ontario. The transmission project will involve construction of the transmission line and associated switchyards in the Town of Royalton in Niagara County and the Towns of Alden, Newstead, Lancaster, and Elma in Erie County.
New York Transco will work with Orange and Rockland Utilities, and Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation to develop additional, related infrastructure upgrades previously required by the commission. The project will be operational by the end of 2023.
Thank you for the information. I am wondering if the $530 million “value” quoted in your article reflects anticipated project revenue or project construction cost. If the former, is there any estimate of the construction cost? Thank you.