New York City has begun commercial operation of the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE), a 1,250 MW HVDC transmission link that delivers Canadian hydropower directly into Astoria, Queens.
The project connects the city to Hydro-Québec’s network and is designed to supply enough electricity to cover nearly 20% of New York City’s power demand.
The line uses Hitachi Energy’s HVDC Light technology, with cables buried underground and underwater through Lake Champlain and the Hudson and Harlem Rivers. This approach keeps the project largely out of sight, reducing environmental impact and improving resilience against extreme weather. The compact converter stations also make it possible to bring large-scale transmission into dense urban areas.
Project partners said the line will improve reliability, reduce congestion and support New York’s clean power goals. It is expected to cut 3.9 million metric tons of carbon emissions a year, and help advance New York State’s target of 70% renewable energy by 2030.
CHPE is only the second major city-centre HVDC infeed project in the world to operate at ±400 kV, following a similar milestone for Hitachi Energy in Mumbai. For New York, it marks a major step in bringing large-scale clean energy directly into the urban core.
