Tuesday, June 23, 2026
The Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE), a 339-mile underground and underwater high-voltage direct current transmission line, has completed construction and begun delivering clean hydropower from Québec to New York City. The $6 billion project, a partnership between Transmission Developers Inc. (a Blackstone portfolio company) and Hydro-Québec, is capable of supplying 1,250 megawatts to the New York City electrical grid—equivalent to 20 per cent of the city’s electricity needs.
The project represents the longest fully-buried transmission line in North America and culminates more than 15 years of planning and development. Energy will flow under a 25-year contract between Hydro-Québec and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to a converter station in Astoria, Queens.
For the construction sector, CHPE demonstrates the scale of private investment in critical energy infrastructure and the complexity of multi-jurisdictional projects spanning 339 miles across New York State. The three-year construction phase employed 1,400 union workers and generated more than 7.5 million hours of labour.
Transmission Developers estimates the project will save New York State ratepayers approximately $17.3 billion over the first 30 years of operations and generate $1.4 billion in incremental tax revenue for local communities over 25 years. The project is expected to reduce carbon emissions equivalent to removing nearly half of the cars from New York City streets.
“The Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line is one of the first projects I championed as Governor, and is a game changer when it comes to keeping the lights on, helping build a cleaner future, and holding costs down,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said. “With its completion, we are powering 1 million New York City homes with needed clean energy that will serve communities for generations to come.”
The project strengthens grid reliability while reducing reliance on fossil fuels, with particular benefits to neighbourhoods historically impacted by carbon emissions, according to the company.
“CHPE illustrates how complex infrastructure can be delivered through sustained collaboration and shared expertise. More importantly, it highlights the growing role of interconnected transmission grids in enhancing system reliability and resilience. By linking energy resources across borders, projects like this help lay the foundation for the next generation of energy systems.” said Claudine Bouchard, president and CEO of Hydro-Québec.
Featured image: (State of New York)
