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By Sophie Krichevsky - April 21, 2022
Champlain Hudson Power Express and Clean Path New York, two projects that will bring green energy to New York City, were approved by the Public Service Commission last Thursday, Gov. Hochul announced that afternoon.
“Today’s decision is a major step forward in achieving New York State’s goal of 70 percentage of our energy from renewable resources, while paving the way for thousands of high-quality jobs, spurring billions in economic activity, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and ushering in a cleaner, greener New York for all,” Hochul said in a statement.
Champlain Hudson Power Express entails a set of cables, which will run under Lake Champlain and the Hudson River from Quebec down to Astoria and transfer hydroelectric power to the Con Edison campus on 20th Avenue. Meanwhile, Clean Path New York will bring solar and wind power from Deleware County, which will be transported to the city via the Rainey power substation near the Roosevelt Island Bridge.
Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Hillcrest), who chairs the Council’s Environmental Protection Committee, has been a strong proponent of the two projects, and applauded their approval.
“By investing in clean energy, creating new green jobs in our communities, and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, the approval of these projects represents a crucial step towards meeting New York’s energy goals,” he said in a prepared statement. “It is my hope that CHPE and Clean Path NY pave the way for more Tier 4 projects, and that New York continues to invest in clean energy and green jobs.”
Equally thrilled was Queens Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Grech.
“Queens Chamber of Commerce who supported both of these projects is happy to know they have both been approved by the 7 public service commission commissioners,” he said in a statement. “These projects dovetail well with our Queens is Green initiative which strives to make Queens County the greenest county of all 62 counties in New York state.”
The CHPE is not without criticism, however. Both prior to and after approval, Riverkeeper, a clean water advocacy group, has raised concerns about the impact on the river’s ecosystem.
“While we appreciate the thoughtful and exhaustive work of the Commissioners and staff of the PSC entrusted with this decision, we believe this project falls far short of meeting New York’s stated goals of providing a just transition to renewable energy while effectively reducing carbon emissions from our energy sources,” the organization’s president, Tracy Brown, stated.
She did, however, praise the approval of Clean Path New York.
Both Gennaro and Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, have been adamant that the benefits outweigh the costs.
“We need this kind of base load as part of our renewable energy portfolio,” Esposito told the Chronicle. “We don’t have time to continue to debate important projects.”
Riverkeeper has also voiced concerns that the CHPE would negatively affect the surrounding indigenous communities. In response, Esposito said that the project would not have an additional impact on those communities; the damage is already done.
“They’re not building new hydro. This is all existing infrastructure that has existed for decades — that was one of the criteria that we closely examined and discussed and evaluated,” she said. “[Riverkeeper’s] point is valid, but this hydro was built 50 to 70 years ago, and to ignore the role it can play in helping us mitigate climate change is irresponsible.”
As for the timeline, Esposito told the Chronicle that construction on the CHPE is set to begin this summer, and that it is expected to be completed in 2025.