State says 78-mile, clean-energy transmission project in the North Country is now finished

CANTON, N.Y. — New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) Smart Path clean-energy transmission infrastructure project in the North Country is now complete.

The Smart Path project is an upgrade of 78 miles of transmission lines that span from Massena in St. Lawrence County to Croghan in Lewis County, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this week.

The completion helps put New York on track to meet its clean-energy goals, outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030 and a zero-emissions electricity sector by 2040. The goals are outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, Hochul’s office noted

“The completion of the Smart Path transmission line is an example of a massive energy infrastructure improvement project that will onboard clean energy to the state’s electricity grid,” Hochul said in a news release. “Smart Path commenced at the height of the pandemic and now proudly has been completed on-time and on-budget — helping provide lasting reliability and environmental benefits to New York’s electrical grid for decades to come.”

With fewer poles made of steel instead of the original wood, the project will harden the lines against weather events and enable the secure transmission of clean energy from northern New York into the state’s electric power grid, Hochul’s office contended.

Justin Driscoll, acting president and CEO of NYPA, joined SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran, Mark Harasha, President of Michels Construction, along with additional state and local officials at SUNY Canton on Tuesday to acknowledge the project’s completion.