Hydro-Quebec's project to deliver electricity to New York State is unlikely to face the same obstacles as the interconnection line to Maine, believes Serge Abergel, chief operating officer of the utility's U.S. subsidiary.
One reason is that New York State does not have a referendum process that can challenge a project as it does in Maine, the Hydro-Quebec Energy Services executive explained in an interview alongside a presentation at the Conference of Montreal on Tuesday. He also noted that the New York project has all the necessary permits to proceed with construction, which would allow it to be commissioned in 2025.
Abergel is not claiming victory for the contract, which could generate $20 billion in revenue over 25 years and power the equivalent of one million homes.
"I have concerns about the overall project," he admits. "I want to be clear, it's not because there's a specific threat, but it's our job to be proactive. We don't take anything for granted."
Hydro-Quebec's project also has strong support from communities suffering from the effects of air pollution from fossil fuel generation that New York State wants to replace with clean sources of supply, Abergel says.
He gave the example of the back-up power plants around New York City. The air pollution they produce particularly affects the borough of Queens. The population has given the name of "asthma corridor" to certain disadvantaged areas.
"This is the place in the United States that has the highest rate of asthma due to local air pollution," Abergel said in his presentation. "People have mobilized and said they're tired of this environmental discrimination."
This report by the Canadian Press was first published in French on July 12, 2022.
