NORTH COUNTRY CHAMBER WELCOMES PSC APPROVAL OF CHPE PROJECT

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The North Country Chamber of Commerce is welcoming final approval of the long-proposed Champlain Hudson Power Express Project by the New York State Public Service Commission. PSC approval action was the last remaining hurdle before construction of the innovative transmission project designed to bring clean hydro-electricity from Quebec to New York City by sometime in 2025.

"The North Country Chamber has been a committed supporter of this project since its inception several years ago and we now look forward to it becoming  a reality in the large and growing economic partnership between New York and Quebec," says Garry Douglas, Chamber President.  "Quebec has the abundant, secure and reliable supply of clean, renewable energy New York needs and it only makes sense to further build the New York-Quebec energy relationship. As the project moves forward, it will bring direct benefits to our region in terms of local taxes and other positive impacts. But the bigger picture of broadening and deepening the Quebec-New York connection is also of great importance. This can and must be a first step in developing the historic opportunity at hand for sourcing strategic commodities of many kinds, from energy to the minerals needed for batteries and other new technology, from our next door partners. And at the same time, this innovative project, which will be almost fully under water, will create a global example of environmental sensitivity. We thank the PSC commissioners for their positive decision and look forward to the day when the project starts. Onward and upward!"