Hydro-Quebec and its American partner Transmission Developers officially signed the largest export contract in the history of the state-owned company on Tuesday with New York State.
The agreement covers the delivery of 10.4 terawatt-hours of electricity to New York for 25 years, which will bring in around ten billion in revenue to Hydro-Québec from 2025. The contract depends on the construction of a power line. transport of 545 kilometers between the Quebec border and New York City. The new Champlain Hudson Power Express link will be built in part under Lake Champlain by Hydro-Quebec and its partner, Transmission Developer, a subsidiary of the Blackstone group.
Part of the electricity delivered to New York will come from the Apuiat wind project, in which the Innu community is a shareholder. Hydro-Quebec has also joined forces with the Mohawks of Kahnawake, who will be co-owners of the Quebec portion of the new transmission line that will join the Champlain Hudson Power Express.
The contract with the New York State Public Service Commission (NYSERDA) will be the subject of a public consultation. Hydro-Quebec CEO Sophie Brochu has previously said she expects the project to be challenged as the transmission line that is to link Boston through Maine, which is currently paralyzed following a consultation citizen who overwhelmingly rejected it.
As in the case of the link to Boston, the Champlain Hudson Power Express project has all the required permits and its construction could begin as early as 2022. Quebec electricity will replace that supplied to date by gas-fired power stations and will be able to supply the equivalent. a million homes.