New York's multibillion-dollar power line from Canada, which was supposed to be up and running this month, has already melted down twice in the first days of July.
The $6 billion project is supposed to bring enough energy for about 1 million households along 5-inch diameter cables buried underneath Lake Champlain and the Hudson, Harlem and East rivers to a converter station in Astoria, Queens. Gov. Kathy Hochul called the project a “lifeline” for meeting rising energy demand during the summer.
On July 4, the hydropower stopped flowing to New York City from the Champlain Hudson Power Express amid a heat wave and a storm in the city that resulted in power outages for 173,700 residents living in Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Westchester.
The power running along the 339 miles of transmission lines from Canada has not resumed flowing yet, and an investigation by Canadian power provider Hydro-Quebec as to the reasons for the power failure is ongoing.
The power provider said it was there to help New Yorkers slog through Friday’s triple-digit temperatures before going down on Saturday.
“While Champlain Hudson Power Express and Hydro-Québec provided key energy to the New York City grid during the height of the most recent heat wave, a second system shutdown occurred on Saturday, July 4,” said Lynn St-Laurent, spokesperson for Hydro-Quebec. “The teams at Hydro-Québec and Transmission Developers continue to work closely with all stakeholders to assess the issue and return Champlain Hudson Power Express to service as soon as possible.”
Hydro-Quebec could not provide an estimate when service will be restored.
“The assessment process is progressing and helping to narrow the scope of the investigation,” St-Laurent said. “Additional work is required before a restoration timeline can be established.”
The first shutdown occurred on the line's first day of service, July 1, and was restored 12:30 p.m. the next day. The transmission line encountered a technical issue that occurred on their end, according to Hydro-Québec.
"These outages are concerning and the administration continues to monitor the situation,” said Ken Lovett, spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul. “Champlain Hudson Power Express will play a critical role in New York's clean energy future and addressing the outages must be a priority for Hydro-Quebec.”
The project was activated on June 1, after completion in mid May. During June, the transmission lines did not provide full power because of contractual issues, which were resolved for July.
The 25-year contract with Hydro-Quebec guarantees power equivalent to a large-scale nuclear reactor, from May through October. According to state officials, the transmission lines can supply up to 20% of the city’s electricity needs.
Advocates said the power source is necessary for the city’s clean power supply, but express concerns about its reliability.
“It's very concerning,” said Joe Baran, executive director of New York Energy Consumers Council. “We want continual reliable supply, and when you have intermittent power like that, then you have to rely on the more reliable service, which is historically dirtier generation.”
