Construction Progress
Announcement - Champlain Hudson Power Express Schedules Two Community Open Houses in the Hudson Valley
The Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) is hosting two community open house meetings in the Hudson Valley to provide information on the installation of the project in the Hudson River. The CHPE marine team will explain the work, technology, vessels, and project schedule for project installation in the Hudson River.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend either meeting. In addition, for those who can’t join in person, the CHPE team will have a webinar that covers the installation plan for the Hudson River available after the open houses.
The first meeting will be held on Monday July 29th at the Tarrytown Senior Center, 240 W Main Street, Tarrytown, NY 10591, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
The second meeting will be held on Tuesday July 30th at the Kingston Best Western, 503 Washington Ave, Kingston, NY 12401, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Anyone with questions or concerns is encouraged to call the CHPE hotline at (800) 991-CHPE (2473) or email publicoutreach@chpexpress.com.
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The Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) officially began construction on November 30, 2022. Construction will continue throughout 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 5/31/2024.
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. |
Inaugural Underground Cable Install The first cable run for the CHPE was successfully installed in December 2023. | Astoria Converter Station Progress The first structural steel was installed on November 30, 2023 at the CHPE Converter Station in Astoria, Queens. | Arrival of Marine Cable Reels The first 24 miles of submarine cable destined for installation in Lake Champlain arrive from Sweden at the Port of Albany in October 2023. |
Astoria Converter Station Kick-Off New York State Governor Kathy Hochul joined CHPE leadership and key stakeholders to celebrate the commencement of construction of CHPE’s Converter Station in Astoria, Queens on September 19, 2023. | Construction Begins in Astoria Construction at CHPE’s Astoria Converter Station began in the summer of 2023, following extensive site remediation. | Cable Reels Arrive at Port of Albany CHPE cables are offloaded at the Port of Albany, New York in March 2023. These HVDC cables will be used to carry clean, renewable energy from Quebec directly into New York City. |
Terrestrial Cable Installation
CHPE’s underground cable installation work is underway at various points throughout the project’s route. Work has been approved for all 15 construction segments and ongoing work includes clearing trees and growth in preparation for project installation, digging the trench and installing conduit that will house CHPE’s cables, and performing horizontal directional drilling which is used to go under large obstacles and avoid environmentally sensitive areas.
This work, and the project’s pre-construction activities such as site preparation and the establishment of laydown yards for equipment, 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.
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.
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. 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, another milestone was achieved as the station was “topped out,” and now all the beams are in place and a roof has been added to the structure. The new state-of-the-art station is slated to be online in 2026.
Randall's Island
Work has begun on Randall’s Island with the project’s longest HDD underway, which will traverse for nearly a mile under the East River. This HDD will bring the project cables into Astoria, Queens, where the converter station is presently being constructed.
Marine Installation
Preparation has been underway on the marine sections of CHPE’s route as the project moves closer to installing cables in Lake Champlain, the Hudson and Harlem Rivers. At the end of April 2024, work was completed installing concrete mattresses in specific locations on Lake Champlain and the Hudson River to protect CHPE cables and other submarine infrastructure.
Cable installation in Lake Champlain is scheduled to begin in June of 2024 and will be completed by the end of October. For more information on marine safety in Lake Champlain in the Summer of 2024, please download this fact sheet.
Cable installation in the Upper Hudson River is scheduled to begin in August and will be completed by November, 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 12.6 miles of marine cable from Brooklyn to Plattsburgh, NY, where it will then be installed in Lake Champlain. The following is a time lapse video of the barge passing through the canal:
The CHPE team will be hosting open houses to further explain construction techniques and timelines. Please check this page frequently, as more information will be shared in the near future.
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 & comments via CHPE's Construction Comments and Questions Form