New York Power Authority to Rebuild Major North-South Transmission Artery

The New York Power Authority Board of Trustees has approved, at its Oct. 2 meeting, $124 million for the initial permitting, engineering, design and procurement of new steel poles and foundations for the planned rebuild of the Power Authority’s major North-South power transmission line.

When completed, the Moses-Adirondack Smart Path Reliability Project reportedly will further strengthen the reliability of New York State’s electric power grid and allow more upstate renewable energy to connect to the power system throughout the state. The upgraded line also will help accelerate the state’s progress in meeting Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Clean Energy Standard that calls for 50 percent of New York's consumed electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2030.

“Rebuilding and modernizing our major transmission lines is vital to helping realize New York State’s clean energy policies and goals,” said Gil C. Quiniones, president and CEO, NYPA. “These Smart Path upgrades will enable us to have a reliable, resilient transmission pathway from the North to the South.”

The funding follows Governor Cuomo’s announcement in July of last year that the state would be moving forward with the plan to rebuild the 78-mile stretch of transmission artery. NYPA trustees previously approved $18.6 million for earlier phases of the project, which is expected to cost approximately $480 million. NYPA’s new funding will help support additional engineering work as well as permitting and materials for the new lines.

At the Oct. 2 meeting, the NYPA Board of Trustees also approved an extension of a master services contract with three New York construction management firms to assist with projects like the Smart Path. The firms are AECOM USA of New York City, CHA Consulting of Albany, and K&L Engineering Consulting of White Plains. This extension raises the contract authorization to $40 million through 2022.

When completed, Smart Path will run north to south through St. Lawrence and Lewis counties, carrying economical, clean and renewable energy, including low-cost hydropower from NYPA's St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project.