MONTREAL — Hydro-Quebec’s new electricity delivery project in New York State has passed a key milestone, and construction of the line on the American side should begin this summer, the state-owned company said. .
Hydro-Quebec announced Thursday’s approval by the New York Public Utilities Commission of the contract between the Quebec state corporation and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
The commissioners voted 5 to 2 for approval of the contract, in what was “the last step to be taken before the start of work in the United States,” said Hydro-Quebec.
The major project for Hydro-Québec provides for the delivery of 10.4 terawatt hours of electricity per year to the City of New York by means of a transmission line of 545 km “buried from end to end”, the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE).
Hydro-Québec said in a press release that its partner Transmission Developers (TDI) will begin construction of the line on the American side during the summer, with a view to commissioning in 2025.
In Quebec, construction of the line might begin in the spring of 2023, according to Hydro-Quebec, while it must still undergo reviews by the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) and the Régie de Canada’s energy.
Video: The aerial structures of the Eastern REM are of concern to experts (Le Devoir)
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‘It’s now or never’ to transform the world, warns IPCC
We must change the world now, warns the IPCC It is more urgent than ever to immediately and “drastically” reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve this, we will have to turn our backs on fossil fuels, but also profoundly transform our cities, our modes of transport and our diet, concludes the new report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). “Without an immediate and drastic reduction in emissions in all sectors, limiting global warming to 1.5°C is out of reach,” summed up IPCC Chairman Hoesung Lee on Monday. In concrete terms, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions would have to be halved by 2030 to hope to meet the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement. This will involve a substantial reduction in the use of fossil fuels, large-scale electrification, improved energy efficiency and the use of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen”. Unless we can count on effective projects to reduce GHG emissions in industry, we must eliminate the use of coal by 2050, but also reduce our use of oil by at least 60% and our use of gas 70% natural. The report published on Monday also notes the need for “changes in our lifestyles” in order to combat climate change. This involves the development of cities, which should make it possible to “reduce the consumption of energy” and resources. Cities adapted to our climate objectives presuppose allowing travel by public transport, but also on foot or by bicycle. The IPCC also points out that “networks of parks, wetlands and urban agriculture can reduce the risk of flooding and heat islands”. Scientists also highlight the need to transform our diet, which still includes a significant intake of animal products. For the moment, however, the world is still on a dangerous climate trajectory, recalls the IPCC report, which was written by 278 authors from 65 countries, in addition to 354 contributors.
The duty
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Cybersecurity flaws in electric vehicle charging stations
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Reduction of surgical activities
Reduction in surgical activities The sixth wave slows the catch-up in surgical procedures. And according to Lucie Opatrny, assistant deputy minister at the Ministry of Health and Social Services, surgical activities will continue to decline in several regions this week. This decrease is explained by a “metarous increase” in the number of caregivers isolated or infected with COVID-19. Some 11,300 health workers are absent from the network. “It’s really an extremely important issue,” said Dr. Opatrny during an interview with Le Devoir at the end of the day on Friday. Hospital capacity is directly linked to the number of health professionals present at work. Some 160,500 Quebecers are waiting for surgery, and the list continues to grow, with operating theaters unable to operate at maximum capacity. According to Dr. Opatrny, the rate of surgical activities was 85% last week, taking into account the contribution of specialized medical centers (CMS). However, she assures us that the government is maintaining its objective of reducing the number of people waiting for surgery to reach, in March 2023, 115,000 people, the pre-pandemic level. ” That [la sixième vague] does not change our point of arrival too much if we are still able, in the coming months, to return to a rate of 100%, as we had planned, ”she believes. In his plan to reform the health network, Minister Christian Dubé is counting in particular on an “increased contribution” from the CMS to carry out catch-up surgery. “Year in, year out, apart from the pandemic”, private clinics carry out “14 or 15%” of surgical activities in the province, he explained at a press conference on Tuesday.
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The line in Quebec would also be completely buried, with 56.1 km of underground line and 1.6 km of submarine line. It must connect Hertel substation, in La Prairie, to an interconnection point in the Richelieu River, at the Canada-US border.
Regarding the approval in the United States, the president and CEO of Hydro-Québec, Sophie Brochu, argued that “New Yorkers have chosen clean hydroelectricity from Quebec to meet 20% of the electricity needs of the largest American metropolis.
“This is an eloquent demonstration of what we can do together to decarbonize the American Northeast with a project that sets an example to follow in terms of just energy transition,” she said in a press release.
According to Hydro-Québec, the 1,250 megawatts per year of clean, renewable hydroelectricity supplied to New York City would correspond to the consumption of more than one million homes.
In accordance with the memorandum of understanding announced in June 2021, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake and Hydro-Québec will co-own the line to be built in Quebec.
Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, grand chief of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, spoke in the release of a “significant turning point” for the community.
“It will indeed enable us to continue to fulfill our environmental stewardship responsibilities to protect Mother Earth, including from the dangers of global warming and other climate change. But more than that, it will ensure that Aboriginal people can participate as business partners and have a say in future economic activities,” she said.
The Canadian Press
