Groundbreaking electricity superhighway powered by HVDC technology connects Canadian hydropower with New York City

New York City has officially switched on one of the most ambitious clean energy infrastructure projects in North America, with a groundbreaking 1,250 megawatt transmission line linking Canadian hydropower directly to the city.

Hitachi Energy, a global leader in electrification, together with Hydro-Québec, a leader in hydropower and large-scale transmission in Canada, and Transmission Developers (TDI), a developer of unique clean energy transmission projects (and a Blackstone portfolio company), announced the start of commercial operations for the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) high-voltage direct current (HVDC) city-center infeed project.

By connecting New York City directly to Hydro-Quebec’s network of over 60 hydropower stations, CHPE has the ability to deliver enough renewable energy to power one million homes and meet nearly 20 percent of New York City’s electricity needs.

At the core of the project is Hitachi Energy’s HVDC Light® technology, a state‑of‑the‑art Voltage Source Converter (VSC)-based solution designed for efficient long-distance transmission with minimal environmental impact. Using advanced power electronics, the system precisely controls voltage and power flow while delivering electricity with exceptionally low losses.

Unlike traditional transmission infrastructure, CHPE was designed to be almost entirely invisible. The transmission cables are buried underground and underwater through Lake Champlain and the Hudson and Harlem Rivers, preserving landscapes, safeguarding ecosystems, and strengthening resilience against extreme weather.

HVDC Light is engineered with a highly compact footprint, enabling converter stations and associated infrastructure to be placed directly within dense urban environments, helping to alleviate grid congestion and delivering reliable, clean power where it is needed most.

CHPE is set to reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 3.9 million metric tons annually, equivalent to removing 44 percent of New York City’s cars from the road.¹ By replacing fossil fuel-based generation, the project will contribute to New York State’s mandate to achieve 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030.²

The commissioning of CHPE also marks an important technological milestone: it is the second major commissioned HVDC city-center infeed project in the world to operate at ±400 kV, following Hitachi Energy’s groundbreaking commissioning in Mumbai, the first of its kind globally at this voltage level.

As cities around the world face growing electricity demand and accelerating decarbonization targets, CHPE offers a powerful new model for how clean energy can move across borders into urban centers, paving the way for the next generation of large-scale renewable energy integration.