The New York Power Authority (NYPA) on March 30 said that its Board of Trustees has approved the Northern New York Priority Transmission Project (NNYPTP), which allows for engineering and planning work to begin in preparation for the project’s environmental review and approval process through the New York State Public Service Commission.
As T&D World sister publication TransmissionHub reported, the commission, in an Oct. 15, 2020, order, said that the Northern New York (NNY) project is to be referred to NYPA for development under the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act (Act).
NYPA said in its statement that the project was approved for acceleration in order to help the state meet its climate and clean energy goals set forth in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, enacted in July 2019, which calls for a zero-emissions electricity sector by 2040, 70% renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy wide carbon neutrality.
The project is designed to help unbottle existing renewable resources in the region, as well as yield production cost savings, emissions reductions, and decreases in transmission congestion, NYPA said. The project includes completion of the second phase of NYPA’s Smart Path Moses-Adirondack rebuild; rebuilding about 45 miles of transmission eastward from Massena to the Town of Clinton, known as the Northern Alignment; rebuilding about 55 miles of transmission southward from Croghan to Marcy, known as the Southern Alignment; as well as rebuilding and expanding several substations along the impacted transmission corridor. NYPA added that the work falls primarily within existing transmission rights of way (ROWs).
The project, which spans about 100 miles of transmission lines across the North Country and through the Mohawk Valley on the southern-most portion, is expected to begin construction next year and take about three years to conclude, NYPA said.
NYPA noted that it selected National Grid as a co-participant on the project, citing National Grid’s experience planning, developing, building, managing and operating transmission projects similar in type and scale to the NNYPTP, as well as ownership and familiarity of property and transmission facilities that can be used to support the expeditious development of the project.
National Grid spokesperson John Lamontagne on March 30 told TransmissionHub that if all goes well, the target in-service date for the project is the end of 2025.
NYPA said that project costs will be estimated as the project’s design and scope are finalized, and will be shared between NYPA and National Grid.
The selection of National Grid as a co-developer for the NNYPTP is subject to the Authority and National Grid reaching agreement on proposed terms and conditions for development of the project, NYPA said.
