David vs Goliath – Champlain Hudson Power Express: A Bad Idea

Earlier this week the US Army Corps of Engineers held hearings on the draft environmental impact statement of the proposed Champlain Hudson Power Express project, a 330 plus mile high voltage Canadian transmission line that seeks to run from Quebec to Queens. 

The Stony Point hearing attracted about 250 people, the vast majority of whom strongly oppose the project. This included community members whose property would be subject to eminent domain, Sons of the American Revolution who asked to stop the Canadian line from unearthing their ancestors’ graves, and other leaders who oppose the project.  

The environmental group Scenic Hudson commented that it supported the high voltage transmission line only after CHPE created a $117 million settlement fund and agreed to move the route from certain sensitive aquatic areas in the Hudson River.  This prompted heckling from the crowd calling for the line to “stay in the river” and chants of “people over fish.”  However, the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter responded that the line should not be built altogether siting the destruction of natural rivers in Canada to power the line and sacrificing in-state renewable energy solutions. 

The Sons of the American Revolution testified that the line will unearth areas with headstones and over 200 verified unmarked graves in the Waldron Cemetery.  They emphasized that the line will also harm the historic Stony Point Battlefield where the first battle of the American Revolutionary War was won.

Community activist Susan Filgueras provided a detailed account of the impact of recent power plant closures in the Hudson Valley, noting the loss of jobs, steep rise in property taxes, and significant blow to the local economy.  CHPE, “…never conducted an environmental impact study for Astoria, Stony Point, or other areas where the line hits land,” said Filgueras during her request for a 180 day extension on the comment period.  “We are not experts. We are mere homeowners who have a ‘David vs. Goliath’ fight to keep our property and protect historic land,” she added.

Stony Point is not alone in this controversy.  A recent article by Capital New York suggests that statewide ratepayers stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars if the Canadian’s request for state money to build CHPE is granted.  In a written statement to federal regulators, New York AREA chairman Arthur “Jerry” Kremer said, “There is no doubt that we can make electricity at lower cost and more reliably here in New York and that should be the focus of our energy policy.  At a time when America is on the verge of becoming energy independent and indeed an energy exporter the Champlain Hudson project takes us backwards.” 

Boilermakers Local 5 business agent Steve Ludwigson agrees with Kremer.  He told the regulators that, “there are at least six other major building trades unions that oppose CHPE,” and provided them with a copy of an open letter to members of Congress calling on them to also reject the Canadian transmission line.

Keep in mind that David beat Goliath and the gritty Continental Army beat the British at Stony Point.  All New Yorkers concerned with jobs, energy costs, and energy infrastructure should join with our friends in Stony Point and elsewhere to oppose the expensive and ill-advised Champlain Hudson high voltage extension cord.