National Grid plans to invest more than $4 billion to transform its energy delivery system and propel economic growth across Upstate New York through a project called Upstate Upgrade.
The project is a collection of transmission enhancement projects to deliver a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy grid to support a more resilient energy network for future.
The utility is planning more than 70 projects to generate many new jobs and more than $1 billion in additional economic growth, while ensuring the energy grid meets customers' growing demand for electricity, through 2030.
The upgrades will not only help achieve the state's climate goals as outlined in New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act but also benefit Upstate New York customers by:
- Improving the Energy Grid's Resilience: The project will provide greater resilience during extreme weather, such as blizzards, tornadoes, and severe windstorms, which are destructive to grid infrastructure, by reinforcing and upgrading infrastructure like transmission lines and substations. Advanced security measures also will be implemented to safeguard our network from external threats.
- Strengthening the Upstate Economy: The project will benefit local economies by bringing over 1,700 new construction jobs, and associated residual spending to local communities, which in turn will create many additional jobs, and at least $1.9 billion in overall economic output during and after construction, according to a third-party analysis by the consultancy West Monroe. The analysis forecasts the Upstate Upgrade to create up to 2% economic growth in the project areas through 2030.
- Powering Upstate's Energy Future: The upgrade will ensure the electric grid to meet customers' increasing demands, including the needs of growing industries, while encouraging more investment and creating new jobs.
National Grid will construct or rebuild more than 1,000 miles of transmission line, 45 substations, and install new technologies to prevent load loss, monitor load fluctuations, and resolve congestion. This work will also protect the transmission grid against extreme weather conditions.
The utility has launched a new website, UpstateUpgrade.NationalGrid.com, to serve as a digital hub for details about the projects as they develop, including maps and updates, outreach events and benefits the Upstate Upgrade will offer every New Yorker.
