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Canada approves Hertel–New York hydropower transmission line

As the new interconnection will cross an international border, the Hertel–New York line had to be assessed by the CER commission.
Canada approves Hertel–New York hydropower transmission line
(Illustration of an electrical transmission line connecting a hydropower plant to industrial customers. This image was created with the assistance of DALL·E 2, an A.I. image generator)

The Canadian portion of a new transmission line that will bring hydropower to the U.S. state of New York has received approval by the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), the body that oversees interprovincial and international oil, gas and electric utility activities.

The permit means that construction can begin on the 58-km-long (36-mile-long) Hertel–New York interconnection line that will link to the 339-mile-long Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) line, currently under construction in the U.S.

As the new interconnection will cross an international border, the Hertel–New York line had to be assessed by the CER commission.

Earlier in July, the Québec government published an Order in Council authorizing the project. This decision follows a 16-month environmental assessment process and sustained collaboration between provincial utility Hydro-Québec and the communities affected by the project.

This article was originally published on sister site Power-Grid International.

The project

The Hertel–New York project involves building a 58-km-long transmission line between the Hertel substation in La Prairie and an interconnection point in the Rivière Richelieu at the Canada–U.S. border. This line will link with the CHPE line, whose construction began in the New York in December 2022. Commissioning of these installations is scheduled for May 2026.

With a capacity of 1,250 MW, these two lines will make it possible to supply clean hydroelectricity generated by Hydro-Québec to New York City. This will reduce the city’s carbon emissions by about 3.9 million metric tons per year — the equivalent of taking 44% of the cars currently circulating in the streets of New York City off the road, according to the companies.