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Governor Hochul Announces Completion of Central East Energy Connect Transmission Line

Governor Hochul Announces Completion of Central East Energy Connect Transmission Line

December 13, 2023

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of the Central East Energy Connect transmission project, which is an upgrade of transmission lines between Marcy in Oneida County and New Scotland in Albany County to relieve congestion and enable integration of more renewable energy into the state power grid. The 93-mile transmission line project involved the installation of more than 650 new steel transmission monopoles as well as the construction of two new state-of-the-art transmission substations at Gordon Road in Rotterdam, and in Princetown, both in Schenectady County, which will allow for increased power transfer capacity and more reliable transmission. The newly rebuilt transmission corridor can carry nearly five times the amount of electricity as the old lines, enough to power approximately 2 million homes. The New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll celebrated the completion of the project today accompanied by LS Power CEO Paul Segal, and President and CEO of the New York Independent System Operator Rich Dewey, along with other state energy and environment representatives.

The more than $600 million CEEC transmission improvement project, built for approximately $200 million less than the estimated cost provided by New York Independent System Operator’s (NYISO) independent evaluation, kicked off construction in February 2021. The project upgraded energy transmission capacity along an existing 93-mile transmission line in the Mohawk Valley and Capital Region, a heavily congested corridor for energy transmission. A joint project by LS Power Grid New York and the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the upgrades allow for the flow of more renewable energy across the state and help put New York on track to meet its nation leading clean energy goals under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which includes a zero-emissions electricity sector by 2040, 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy-wide carbon neutrality.

The CEEC upgrade project involved replacing existing lines and wooden poles, some of which are about 60 years old, with stronger steel monopoles in existing utility rights-of-way and building two new substations. In total, the project removed approximately 1,250 aging transmission structures and replaced them with more than 650 monopoles. This work increased the resiliency of the line to strengthen it against extreme weather and supports the transmission of clean energy across the state. View recent photos of line construction.

The project is part of a larger buildout of transmission projects across the state, including more than 1,000 miles of planned transmission investments that will maximize the use of renewable energy for parts of the state that rely heavily on fossil fuel plants.

LS Power CEO Paul Segal said, “We’re extremely proud to have completed the CEEC project on time and on budget. Thank you to NYISO for selecting LS Power Grid New York and thank you to our project partner, NYPA, for helping steer this project to success. With the energization of the CEEC transmission facility, LS Power Grid New York will help expand and strengthen New York state’s electric grid and meet the state’s clean energy goals. Moreover, the project’s success underscores why a transparent and competitive process to build transmission infrastructure is so important – as it delivers savings to consumers. In this case, LS Power Grid New York provided cost containment provisions that reduced costs for New York state electricity ratepayers by more than $200 million over the life of the project.”

Please see https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-completion-central-east-energy-connect-transmission-line for the full article.

ABOUT LS POWER:

Founded in 1990, LS Power is a premier development, investment, and operating company focused on the North American power and energy infrastructure sector, with leading platforms across generation, transmission and energy transition solutions. Since inception, LS Power has developed or acquired 47,000 MW of power generation, including utility-scale solar, wind, hydro, battery energy storage, and natural gas-fired facilities. Additionally, LS Power Grid has built 780+ miles of high-voltage transmission, with 350+ miles and multiple grid infrastructure projects currently under construction or development. LS Power actively invests in and scales businesses that are accelerating the energy transition, including electric vehicle charging, demand response, microgrids, renewable fuels and waste-to-energy platforms. Over the years, LS Power has raised $54 billion in debt and equity capital to support North American infrastructure. For information, please visit www.LSPower.com.