ALBANY, N.Y. — New York on Tuesday finished upgrading 78 miles of transmission lines that will enable the reliable transmission of clean energy from the north to the rest of the state.
The Smart Path project rebuilt and replaced aging transmission poles made from wood with steel ones capable of supporting 345 kV lines, as well as upgraded substations along the project’s path (18-T-0207).
The $484 million worth of upgrades span from Massena in St. Lawrence County to Croghan in Lewis County and were undertaken by LS Power Grid New York and the New York Power Authority (NYPA).
The newly energized Moses-Adirondack Smart Path line will operate at the 230 kV level until the completion of the attaching Smart Path Connect project, which rebuilds roughly 100 miles of transmission lines in the North Country and the Mohawk Valley.
The Smart Path Connect project is a partnership between NYPA and National Grid and construction is scheduled to run until December 2025.
These Smart Path projects are among the many transmission projects New York is developing to support its growing clean energy fleet. The announcement mentioned the Propel NY transmission proposal, which was selected by NYISO’s board to enable the delivery of offshore wind energy from Long Island to the rest of the state. (See NYISO Board Selects NYPA-Transco Project for Long Island Tx Needs.)
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The office of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the completion of Smart Path and included statements from several high-ranking officials.
Justin E. Driscoll, acting president of NYPA, said, “the Moses-Adirondack Smart Path transmission line was the Power Authority’s oldest asset, built in 1942, acquired by the Authority in the early ‘50s, and now it has become one of our newest. I am immensely proud of the Power Authority team, the skilled laborers, and contractors who completed this challenging work on this major transmission artery safely under unusually difficult circumstances.”
Democratic state Sen. Kevin Parker, chair of the Energy & Telecommunications Committee, said, “we must embrace the opportunities to modernize our energy systems and invest in clean and sustainable solutions that ensure the resilience of our infrastructure, the protection of our environment, and the well-being of our communities.”
Democratic Assemblymember Didi Barrett, chair of the Energy Committee, said, “the newly completed Smart Path Transmission Project is integral to enhancing resiliency and modernizing the grid, which is necessary to achieve our climate goals, and will provide up to 900,000 homes with clean electricity.”
Bill Brown Jr., business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which represents many of the workers who performed much of the specialized transmission construction like stringing lines by helicopter, also shared a comment.
“Our members will continue to offer the expertise and dedication necessary to help support Gov. Hochul and New York State in its efforts to support green energy,” said Brown.
