Montréal: Hydro-Québec announced two proposals September 8 that it is submitting to supply power to New York, in response to a June 2017 New York Power Authority (NYPA) Large Scale Renewables Request For Proposals for the procurement of 1 million MWh:
• An increase of deliveries into New York through a transmission infrastructure enhancement project. By upgrading an existing interconnection, Hydro-Québec can provide an additional 700 gigawatthours (GWh) per year, or
• A major new or expanded interconnection into New York to deliver 5.8 to 8.3 TWh per year. The company would also cooperate with US developers in the design of the transmission infrastructure needed in New York and construct the corresponding transmission facilities needed in Québec.
Earlier, on July 27, Hydro-Québec announced six options to meet Massachusetts' energy needs – either 100% hydropower or a hydro-wind power supply blend – offered over one of three proposed new transmission lines. Through innovative partnerships with proven leaders in New England's energy sector and experienced Québec wind power producers, this new source of clean energy will be provided to Massachusetts in the form of firm deliveries, every hour of the year for the next 20 years.
Hydro-Québec has partnered with three possible transmission projects:
Northern Pass Transmission project (Eversource Energy), a 192-mile transmission line project that will bring 1,090 megawatts to New Hampshire and to the rest of New England
New England Clean Power Link project (Transmission Developers Inc.) a proposed $1.6 billion, 1,000 MW High Voltage direct current (HVdc) underwater and underground transmission cable that will bring clean, low-cost energy from the U.S.-Canadian border to Vermont and the New England marketplace. Planned as a merchant line, it would be privately financed and will not use taxpayer dollars. The partners say the line is fully-permitted and shovel-ready.
New England Clean Energy Connect (Central Maine Power) a high-voltage, 1,200-megawatt transmission line that would run 145 miles from the Canadian border to a substation in Lewiston, Maine.
Hydro-Québec says the attributes of Québec hydropower as a low carbon, baseload and flexible electricity source are well suited to contribute to all of Massachusetts' objectives. What's more, Hydro-Québec's high-performance fleet of existing hydropower generating stations produce energy that is available today, in significant quantities.
The hydropower/wind supply option has been designed with Gaz Métro, an energy provider in Québec and New England, and Boralex, a large and experienced private renewable energy power producer that has carved out a major share of the wind power market in Canada. The proposed project, SBx, is a 300-MW wind farm, which would be the fourth phase of the Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms. SBx would be entirely developed, financed, built and operated by Boralex and Gaz Métro.
In each of the hydropower/wind supply options, the energy would be firmed by Hydro-Québec hydropower.