The proposed Champlain Hudson Power Express is a 330-mile long high voltage submarine power cable linking one-billion watts of Canadian generated hydroelectricity to New York City.
NAMRA opposes the proposed Champlain Hudson Power Express as it provides direct monetary support to Candian hydropower and undermines the local economy in New York. The importation of electricity from Canada will make it more difficult for local clean energy suppliers in New York to get their power on the grid.
Here are the most recent (as of May 6, 2019) project documents.
On April 22, 2019, New York City Mayor Bill DiBlasio announced a Green New Deal for the City which includes Hydro-Quebec power from Canada. In a simultaneous press release, Hydro-Quebec embraced the chance to get the stalled CHPE project going.
CHPE is fraught with problems and NAMRA opposes the project on environmental and social justice grounds. Unfortunately, most of the permits are in place. Worse yet, in a settlement agreement, some river protection groups agreed to accept funds in exchange for withdrawing their opposition to the project. NAMRA finds this unfortunate.
The New York section will cost $2.2 billion to construct. The project’s main investor is Blackstone Group, L.P., an American multinational private equity, alternative asset management, and financial services firm based in New York City. As the largest alternative investment firm in the world, Blackstone specializes in private equity, credit, and hedge fund investment strategies.
The $2.2 billion that will be invested in the Blackstone CHPE project is money that should be spent on local renewable energy projects and local, long term sustainable jobs. Locking in this infrastructure for destructive Canadian hydropower creates a disincentive for innovative, local energy solutions. This is a greenwash and climate disaster.
NAMRA’s press release is here.