Final Environmental Impact Statement Issued by the U.S. Department of Energy for the Champlain Hudson Power Express

Environmental Review Successfully Completed, Project Cleared for Final Permitting

Transmission Developers Inc. is pleased to announce that the United States Department of Energy (DOE), in cooperation with other federal and state agencies, has issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) transmission line. The issuance of the FEIS concludes the successful review of the Project’s environmental impacts under the National Environmental Policy Act and clears the way for final Project permitting. DOE’s proposed action is the issuance of a Presidential permit that would authorize the construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed CHPE project.

The CHPE Final EIS is the product of many years of intensive review and analysis, an effort launched by DOE in the spring of 2010. Agencies formally cooperating with DOE in its efforts were the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, Coast Guard, and Environmental Protection Agency and the N.Y.S. Departments of Environmental Conservation and Public Service. DOE also consulted with the National Marine Fisheries Service. The FEIS is available at http://chpexpresseis.org/library.php

Transmission Developers Inc. CEO Donald Jessome said, “We are extremely pleased that, after years of comprehensive review, the Department of Energy has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement. We welcomed the review and dialogue it generated with federal and state agencies as well as local stakeholders. A great many people within these agencies and at the state and local level went to great effort evaluating the project and we thank them for their time and thoughtful consideration. The CHPE transmission line will provide clean, affordable power while minimizing community and environmental impacts, and it offers a creative solution to meet the energy challenges of the future.”

About the Champlain Hudson Power Express
The Champlain Hudson Power Express Project is a completely buried, 333-mile HVDC transmission line that will be installed underground and underwater, originating at the U.S.-Canada border and running the length of Lake Champlain and through parts of the Hudson River to New York City.

In development since 2008, the Project will bring 1,000 MW of clean, reliable energy to meet growing needs and is at the forefront of America’s emerging “smart grid” revolution. The project is projected to reduce energy costs for consumers and businesses by $650 million a year once complete. These savings are estimated to create 2,400 new jobs across a wide spectrum of the economy. While under construction, the Champlain Hudson Power Express is expected to create an average of 300 construction jobs during the approximately four-year construction period.

The project will also diversify the state’s energy portfolio, and increase the electric grid’s safety and security by creating new, hardened infrastructure that is less susceptible to damage from natural disasters.

About TDI
TDI is a Blackstone portfolio company with offices in New York City and Albany, N.Y. that develops unique energy transmission projects in an environmentally responsible manner. The company is currently developing the Champlain Hudson Power Express (www.chpexpress.com). More information on the company is available at www.transmissiondevelopers.com.