TDI advances Canada-US power line plans

A Toronto company financed by the US investment firm Blackstone is hoping to build a 2,000 megawatt power line between Montreal's south shore and New York City at a cost of $3.8 billion.  The 570 kilometer line proposed by Transmission Developers Inc. (TDI) would largely be buried under Lake Champlain and the Hudson River in order to minimize its impact on the environment and local communities.  The line, being called the Champlain-Hudson Power Express (CHPE) transmission power line, will be a high-voltage direct current (HVdc) cable.  The project would deliver up to 2,000 megawatts of clean hydroelectric and wind power targeted for development in Canada.  It would run from Canada to the New York metro area, following major waterways including the Hudson River and Lake Champlain. There would also be an additional underwater connection to Bridgeport, Connecticut.  The Quebec portion of the line would cost between $400 million and $500 million and be built by Hydro-Quebec TransEnergie, which would recover the costs by charging users of the line, according to TDI.  The Toronto firm has filed an application for loan guarantees under an economic recovery program designed to improve the US electrical grid. If the line is approved, the loan guarantees could cover up to 80 percent of the $3.8 billion cost.  Donald Jessome, president and CEO of TDI said: ÔÇ£One of the biggest challenges we face in the development of new renewable energy sources is safely and efficiently transporting that power from areas where it is created to markets where the power is most needed. This innovative project offers real opportunity to deliver low cost power to areas in need with minimal disruption to local communities and environments.ÔÇØ  He continued: ÔÇ£New York and New England have growing energy demands that must be addressed and this project will help meet these needs with clean, renewable power. This project brings clean energy into the grid, while lowering prices for consumers.ÔÇØ  The project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2015, would compete with another proposed transmission line being planned by Hydro-Quebec and the US energy suppliers NStar and Northeast Utilities.  That 1,200 megawatt line would connect the Eastern Townships with New Hampshire, and has been well received by the US energy regulator. The line is expected to go live in 2014.  TDI is also working on a 1,000 megawatt line stretching from Maine to Boston, passing under the Atlantic Ocean.  Headquartered in Albany, New York, TDI develops high-voltage underwater transmission systems, with current proposed projects in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.