Senator Cathy Young (R – Olean) is fighting back against a Canadian power company that wants to send its electricity across the boarder and into New York City. The Olean Republican – along with several other lawmakers – has announced legislation that she says would prohibit any electric corporation seeking to build or expand service and also maintains a starting point outside the United States from using the power of eminent domain.
During a press conference earlier this week, Senator Young joined Senate Energy Committee Chairman George Maziarz and other fellow state Senators, power generators, and business groups to highlight the negative impacts of the proposed Champlain Hudson Power Express Transmission Line (CHPE) – a 1,000 MW underwater transmission line that would originate in Canada and end in New York City.
While the developers of the project say that it will be funded through private investments, there is a little noticed clause in the proposal before the Public Service Commission that could push some of the costs onto ratepayers, causing already high utility bills to go up.
Young says New Yorker already have power producers in the state. This Canadian
transmission line would kill existing New York jobs, put power generators out of business and devastate the tax base in communities that depend on having these plants operating.
Young also mentioned the NRG plant in Dunkirk, saying her goal is to pass legislation, in addition to this bill, by establishing a purchase power agreement with the New York Power Authority to supply electricity to the state’s ReCharge NY to grow jobs.
As noted, the CHPE project is now before the state Public Service Commission for its review.
[…] sources to Canada. Shinagawa says the Canadian Transmission Line Project – also known as the Champlain Hudson Power Express Transmission Line) – could be the number one detractor from the expansion of the region’s own energy sector. […]