Construction Progress
(click picture to expand)
The Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) officially began construction on November 30, 2022. Construction will continue through mid-2026, when CHPE becomes operational and begins delivering clean, renewable energy directly to New York City – aiding New York State’s green energy transition, improving air quality, and providing millions of dollars in new county and school tax revenue, all while preserving the State’s scenic landscapes and vistas.
The project involves close collaboration and coordination with Hydro Quebec (HQ), which is building an approximately 58km (~36mile) underwater and underground transmission line from the Hertel substation in La Prairie, Quebec to an interconnection point with CHPE in the Rivière Richelieu, at the Canada–New York border. More information on the Hertel-New York interconnection line is available on Hydro Quebec’s website here.
CHPE Construction Updates
The CHPE project uses time-tested high-voltage direct current (HVDC) energy transmission cable technology that transmits power over long distances more efficiently than alternating current (AC) transmission. CHPE HVDC cables will be installed for ~339miles underground and underwater from Lake Champlain at the U.S-Canada border to a Converter Station in Astoria, Queens, where the HVDC power will be converted to AC power so it can be injected into New York City's energy grid for local distribution.
Interactive Project Map*
*Data displayed in the map represents the most current information and was last updated 11/1/2024.
Randall’s Island Vault Installation The transition vault was successfully installed on Randall’s Island in September of 2024. | First Manhole Complete in Queens The first manhole was completed in October 2024 on the Astoria- Raney Cable in Queens which will reinforce the HVAC power grid in NYC. | Cable Splicing on the Hudson HVDC cables successfully spliced on board the Ariadne are installed in the Hudson River in the Fall of 2024. |
Lake Champlain Installation Begins In August of 2024 cables were floated across the US-Canadian border marking the official start of cable laying in Lake Champlain. | Hudson River Installation Begins Atalanti arriving in New York Harbor in preparation for cable installation on the Hudson. | Astoria Converter Station Progresses The firewater tank being built at the Astoria Converter Station. |
Pre-Lay Mattressing Complete Pre-lay mattressing on the Hudson River, which is done to safely install CHPE cables later this year, has been completed. | Astoria Converter Station “Topped Out” The last beams are in place and the Astoria Converter Station is on pace to be operational in 2026. | Barges Deliver Cable to Lake Champlain Barges, specially made to transport CHPE cables, successfully traverse the NYS Canal System, setting the stage for Lake Champlain installation. |
Terrestrial Cable Installation
CHPE’s underground cable installation work is ongoing in various stages in all 15 of the project’s construction segments. This work includes clearing trees and growth in preparation for project installation, digging the trench and installing conduit (dig, lay, backfill) that will house CHPE’s cables, performing horizontal directional drilling (HDD) which is used to go under large obstacles and avoid environmentally sensitive areas and splicing the cable together. As of October 2024, there are more than 20 crews performing dig, lay, backfill operations across the entire project and more than 50% of the required trenching is now complete.
All of this work has been approved by New York State and detailed construction plans for each segment, known as Environmental Management & Construction Plans (EM&CPs) are available to review here. Construction of the terrestrial portion of CHPE commenced at the end of 2022 and will continue into 2026, with construction activities taking place in Washington, Saratoga, Schenectady, Albany, Greene, Rockland, and Queens counties.
Rockland County Terrestrial Construction
To avoid an environmentally sensitive area in the Hudson River, the CHPE exits the Hudson River and is being constructed on land in Rockland County. Construction started in July 2024 and includes trenching, splice vault installations, and HDD work that allows the project to bypass congested and environmentally sensitive areas. To minimize traffic disruptions, trenching along Route 9W will be done at night.
CHPE now has an office in Rockland County dedicated to community engagement and outreach, located at 1 Railroad Square, Haverstraw, NY 10927. The office is open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday – Friday and anyone who has questions or who is interested in learning more about the project is encouraged to visit.
Those interested in receiving an electronic newsletter containing Rockland County specific construction updates can sign up here.
New York Metro Construction
Astoria Converter Station
Construction of CHPE’s Converter Station in Astoria, Queens began in the summer of 2023, following extensive site remediation - marking the first ever conversion of a fossil-fuel site into a grid-scale zero-emissions facility in New York City. This milestone was celebrated during Climate Week in September 2023 with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk, Premier of Québec Francois Legault, Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, and several other key stakeholders and local officials. See more detail here.
In November of 2023, the project hit a new milestone, as the first structural steel of the Converter Station was installed. In March of 2024, the main building was “topped out,” and work on the substation yard began. As of October 2024, the exterior of the main building is complete, the Relay Building has been erected and the firewater tank is complete. The first pieces of equipment for the substation yard have been installed. The new state-of-the-art station is slated to be online in 2026.
Randall's Island
Work is ongoing on Randall’s Island and the pilot hole for the project’s longest HDD is complete. This HDD will traverse for nearly a mile under the East River and bring the project cables into Astoria, Queens, where the converter station is presently being constructed.
The Astoria-Rainey Cable
To properly disburse the power from CHPE into New York City’s power grid, a 3.5-mile buried HVAC cable is being constructed in Astoria, Queens that is known as the Astoria-Rainey Cable (ARC). The first 1,200 feet of conduit duct bank have been installed near 35th Street and Vernon Boulevard. In October of 2024, the first manhole for the ARC was installed. Major construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Marine Installation
In August of 2024, installation of the marine cables in Lake Champlain and the Hudson River began. This installation work followed a Spring 2024 campaign that installed concrete mattresses in specific locations in Lake Champlain and the Hudson River to protect CHPE cables and other submarine infrastructure.
As of October 2024, more than 100 total miles of cable have been installed in waterways used by the project. Cable installation in Lake Champlain is now paused for the winter and will be completed in 2025. For more information on marine safety in Lake Champlain, please download this fact sheet.
Cable installation in the Upper Hudson River is scheduled to be completed by November 2024, with a further phase in the Lower Hudson occurring in 2025. Cable installation in the Harlem River will also take place in 2025.
In May 2024, the first shipments of the project’s HVDC cable to Lake Champlain started on cable transportation barges that were specially designed to navigate through the locks of the Lake Champlain Canal system. Each barge carries approximately 12.8 miles of marine cable from Albany, NY through the canals, where it is then installed in Lake Champlain. The following is a time lapse video of the barge passing through the canal:
Want Further Technical Information?
Click here for more information on approved EM&CP filings and specific details for each portion of CHPE’s route.
Got Construction Questions?
Call: 1-800-991-CHPE (2473)
Email: publicoutreach@chpexpress.com
Send comments & questions via CHPE's Construction Comments and Questions Form
Page Last Updated: November 2024