Latest News
LS Power Grid New York is now working on all segments of the project across the Mohawk Valley and Capital Region. Project-related work is focused at substations in the Towns of Marcy, Princetown, Rotterdam, and New Scotland and the electric transmission line corridor through Herkimer, Montgomery, and Schenectady Counties. Landowners directly adjoining the project right-of-way will receive a notice from us as new work begins in your area. We thank local residents and communities for working with us as we continue progress with construction activities and strive to minimize any disruptions.
AC Transmission Upgrades:
Reducing Congestion & Supporting Renewables
In 2012, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) initiated a proceeding and invited developers to submit initial project ideas to achieve objectives defined within the New York Highway Energy Blueprint.
The PSC paused the process in 2014 to conduct a needs assessment of congestion in the Mohawk Valley and Hudson Valley in response to requests to reexamine the issues and need for transmission upgrades. After confirming the upgrades were required, the New York Independent System Operators (NYISO) issued a request in 2016 for proposals to address the underlying need.
In April 2019, NYISO selected a joint proposal by LS Power Grid New York (LS Power) (formerly known as North America Transmission, LLC) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to upgrade the transmission system within existing utility rights-of-way. NYISO’s selection is the final step in a series of processes lasting more than five years, with substantial public and stakeholder involvement, to identify the most efficient and cost effective transmission upgrades to reduce congestion, improve reliability, and provide better access to renewable resources around New York State by strengthening the transmission system.
LS Power will continue engaging local communities and other stakeholders, conducting environmental reviews, and advancing final design engineering as the Project progresses. Construction activities started in Schenectady and Albany Counties in early 2021 and will continue through summer 2022. Work in Oneida, Herkimer, and Montgomery Counties will be starting in early 2022 and generally proceed eastward through 2023.
New York Energy Highway Blueprint
New York State is fortunate to have significant power generation capabilities. However, the state’s transmission lines don’t have the capacity to convey enough energy from where it is produced to where it is most needed.
These bottlenecks cause inconsistent service and present barriers to potential development projects – stunting local economic growth. Transmission bottlenecks on the electric grid currently cost ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually in higher electricity bills.
New York State’s public policy objective is to reduce these bottlenecks through transmission upgrades that increase the amount of power that can flow across the state, and improve the overall efficiency of the electric grid.
Investments in the transmission system can:
Lower electricity costs for ratepayers
Help retain jobs in upstate power plants
Encourage renewable energy projects
Create construction jobs
Improve grid reliability by replacing aging infrastructure