New York state and local officials are celebrating the completion of a 100-mile electricity transmission project. That’s part of a project that has taken place in phases over the last several years.
The section of transmission line and associated equipment celebrated this week is called Smart Path Connect and Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement that it’s the largest investment in New York’s electric grid in 50 years.
Officials from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) were among those at Monday’s announcement near Utica. The recent transmission line work stretches from Massena in the North Country, to the town of Marcy, in Oneida County.
Power Authority President and CEO Justin Driscoll said that through increased efficiency of the power grid, this project will save New Yorkers money and also be better for the environment.
“So we've now modernized almost 200 miles of transmission capacity, and we're enabling about a gigawatt of renewable power to flow across the state, and by moving that energy to where it's needed most, we're avoiding nearly a million tons of carbon emissions every year,” Driscoll said.
Rich Dewey is President and CEO of the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), an agency which monitors the state’s electric grid. He noted that with the increased demand for power, projects like the one just completed are crucial in meeting those needs.
“At this point in time our reliability of our system is coming under tremendous pressure because of this very rapid change that's going on and tremendous growth,” said Dewey. “So it's so imperative that we timely and cost effectively complete these projects.”
The total cost of the project, which began several years ago, is pegged at just over $900 million. But Hochul said that the transmission project will provide approximately $438 million in annual benefits to New Yorkers, including monthly savings on electric bills.
Hochul said the fact that this project involves renewable energy, including hydropower, has the state “moving clean power more efficiently and eliminating bottlenecks that have driven up energy costs.”
Last month, New York utility regulators said that the state’s electric grid is prepared for increased summer demand for electricity. The New York State Public Service Commission and the Independent System Operator said that the new transmission project is one of the factors that will help provide enough capacity in the system.