The Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) is a buried high voltage direct current (HVDC) line that connects Canadian hydropower to New York, New York. It delivers 1,250 MW of energy, enough to power 1 million homes. CHPE spans 339 miles. This includes 110 miles of overland buried cable and about 219 miles of underwater buried cable within Lake Champlain and the Hudson River.
The buried transmission line avoids impacts to sensitive environmental habitats, including wetlands and protected species. It also reduces visual impacts and increases reliability during extreme weather events. In addition, it consumes less energy over long distances than overhead transmission lines. The CHPE HVDC is one of only six buried HVDC transmission lines in the United States. CHPE was permitted in 2012. It received construction authorization in 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2026.
EDR served as the State Siting and Permitting Manager. In this role, EDR prepared Environmental Management & Construction Plans (EM&CPs) for 110 miles of buried overland HVDC cable. EDR managed the preparation of the EM&CP documents, including template development, format, technical QA/QC, and consistency. These documents were filed with the Public Service Commission (PSC) and Department of Public Service (DPS) staff under the project’s Article VII Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need. EDR authored 10 EM&CPs and submitted all overland EM&CPs between 2021 and 2024.