Governor Kathy Hochul today announced significant progress on the Central East Energy Connect transmission project spanning the Mohawk Valley to the Capital District. The comprehensive upgrade of transmission lines between Marcy in Oneida County and New Scotland in Albany County supports the smooth transmission of clean energy across the state. As part of a series of announcements in celebration of Earth Week this week, Governor Hochul recognized the construction completion and energization of a new state-of-the-art Princetown substation in Schenectady County that is part of the Central East Energy Connect project. The new energy infrastructure allows for increased power transfer capacity, enables expanded renewable energy pathways, and enhances reliability and resiliency of the state power grid advancing the clean energy goals outlined in the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
«As we continue our efforts to combat climate change, upgrading New York’s transmission system has become one of the most important priorities to harden the power system and on-board more renewable energy,» Governor Hochul said. «With this Central East Energy Connect milestone, we are enhancing and upgrading our electric grid to help withstand weather changes, all while supporting good-paying clean energy jobs.»
Work began on the Central East Energy Connect (CEEC) project in February 2021 to expand electric transmission capacity along 93 miles in the Mohawk Valley and Capital Region—traditionally one of the state’s most heavily congested energy corridors. A joint project by LS Power Grid New York and the New York Power Authority, CEEC will allow for the flow of more renewable energy across the state and help put New York on track to meet its nation-leading clean energy goals, including and 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030 and a zero-emissions electricity sector by 2040.
New York Power Authority Acting President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, «I’m very pleased by the significant progress occurring on the Central East Energy Connect project, thanks in great part to the collaboration between LS Power Grid New York, the New York Power Authority and a strong union craft labor force. Transmission system upgrades like this will allow us to bring more renewables onto the grid, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels, improving the environment, and making the grid more resilient and reliable.»
New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, «Today’s announcement continues Governor Hochul’s commitment to making environmentally sustainable affordable housing available to all New Yorkers. The $15 million Future Housing Initiative will facilitate the development of up to 30 clean, electrified, and affordable buildings for New York City’s residents. This program, along with HCR’s Clean Energy Initiative, which is providing streamlined access to affordable housing finance opportunities to developers who can produce energy-efficient, all-electric affordable units, will ensure New York continues to lead the way in realizing a decarbonized housing stock. Together these programs will not only benefit those who will be able to call modern, resilient apartments their home, but will enable entire communities to enjoy improved air quality from reduced building emissions.»
LS Power Grid New York CEO Paul Segal said, «Energizing the Princetown substation is another great accomplishment for the LS Power Grid New York and New York Power Authority team. We continue looking ahead towards the completion of the Central East Energy Connect project this year, modernizing this important section of the New York State electrical system to help drive the transition towards reliable clean energy.»
The CEEC project is scheduled to be completed later this year and will have nearly five times the capacity of the lines being replaced to help meet New York State’s energy needs today and into the future. The $615 million project replaces existing lines and wooden poles – many of which are about 60 years old – with stronger steel monopoles in existing utility rights-of-way. In total, the project will remove approximately 1,250 aging transmission structures and replace them with approximately 700 new monopoles. Additionally, with today’s announcement of the Princetown substation energization, the project’s two new substations are now both in-service.
New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, President and CEO of the New York Independent System Operator Rich Dewey, and other state energy and environment representatives, viewed the project’s progress at an October 2022 event to mark the energization of the Gordon Road substation in Schenectady County.
President and CEO of the New York Independent System Operator Rich Dewey said, «This key milestone by NYPA and LS Power Grid New York is another major accomplishment in strengthening the electric system and advancing the grid in transition. The Central East Energy Connect is a major example of New York State’s nation-leading work and commitment to modernize our grid infrastructure and address climate change.»
It is part of a larger buildout of transmission projects across New York, including more than 1,000 miles of planned transmission investments that will create opportunities to maximize the use of renewable energy for parts of the state that currently rely heavily on fossil fuel plants. In addition to the CEEC, NYPA is continuing work on its Moses-Adirondack Smart Path Reliability project in the North Country and began construction late last year on the Smart Path Connect project, a transmission project NYPA is undertaking with National Grid. Several additional transmission projects are in various stages of construction including New York Transco’s New York Energy Solution which involves the rebuild of approximately 54 miles of transmission lines in the Hudson Valley and NextEra Energy Transmission New York’s recently completed and energized Empire State Line Project of approximately 20 miles in Western New York.
Two new major transmission and renewable energy projects, which were selected by Governor Hochul in 2021 to help transport clean energy to New York City, are on deck and awaiting permitting: Clean Path New York, a project developed through a collaboration between NYPA and Forward Power (a joint venture of Invenergy and energyRe) which is currently undergoing its Article VII review and the Champlain Hudson Power Express Transmission Project developed by Transmission Developers Inc.
For more information about the Central East Energy Connect project, visit the CEEC project website. View recent photos of line construction.
New York State Senate Energy Chair Kevin Parker said, «We’re making moves in the right direction with the work Governor Hochul and all parties have done in making New York’s Clean Energy almost complete. Having more renewable energy in the state of NY will benefit generations to come. I commend Governor Hochul for her commitment to addressing climate change and transitioning our energy grid to one that is truly clean, green, and renewable.»
New York State Assembly Energy Chair Didi Barrett said, «Increased reliability of our energy grid is essential to reaching our CLCPA goals, and modernizing our transmission system is a key part of ensuring a safe and dependable flow of clean energy across New York State. Today’s completion of the Princetown Substation is an important step towards finishing the Central East Energy Connect. I thank Governor Hochul for her leadership.»
New York State’s Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State’s nation-leading climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues fostering a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York’s unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.8 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector in 2021 and a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with nearly 400 registered and 100 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the state to help target air pollution interventions and combat climate change.
About LS Power
LS Power Grid New York is an LS Power company dedicated to delivering reliable and cost-effective transmission infrastructure for New York. LS Power is a development, investment and operating company focused on the North American power and energy infrastructure sector. Since its inception in 1990, in addition to its development of over 680 miles of high voltage transmission, LS Power has developed, constructed, managed or acquired more than 46,000 MW of power generation, including utility-scale solar, wind, hydro, natural gas-fired and battery energy storage projects. Additionally, LS Power actively invests in businesses focused on renewable energy and fuels, as well as distributed energy resource platforms, such as CPower Energy Management, Endurant Energy and EVgo. Across its efforts, LS Power has raised in excess of $49 billion in debt and equity financing to support North American infrastructure. For more information, please visit www.LSPower.com
About NYPA
NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA finances its operations with revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity and by the sale of bonds. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter @NYPAenergy, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.
About Central East Energy Connect
The Central East Energy Connect project will improve electric transmission facilities within existing utility corridors between the Towns of Marcy and New Scotland. These upgrades will help relieve bottlenecks on the New York power grid, support renewable energy, replace aging infrastructure to improve reliability, and provide many other benefits to businesses and residents across New York State.