by Shane Henson — June 21, 2013—PowerBridge LLC has announced that its affiliate, Hudson Transmission Partners LLC (HTP), has completed testing of its underground and underwater, 660-megawatt electric transmission project between Ridgefield, New Jersey, and Manhattan, New York, and has begun delivering power to customers in New York City.
The Hudson transmission project route has a total length of about 7.5 miles, with a cable bundle buried under the Hudson River for about 3.5 miles and buried underground for approximately four miles, starting in Ridgefield, says HTP. The line connects to the Con Edison system at the West 49th Street substation in the heart of Manhattan and is capable of providing about 5 percent of New York City’s peak demand. The project began construction in May 2011 at a cost of approximately $850 million and was completed six weeks ahead of schedule, despite the two hurricanes that hit the area during the construction period.
According to the company, since 2005, it has been responsible for the development, financing, construction, and operation of 1,320 megawatts of power transmission infrastructure representing $1.5 billion in private investment. The Hudson project is the second major underwater transmission project completed by PowerBridge, following the 660 megawatt Neptune undersea transmission project, completed in June of 2007, which extends 65 miles between New Jersey and Long Island. Neptune has supplied approximately 20 percent of Long Island’s electricity needs since going into service. The Hudson and Neptune projects provide access to power from the PJM energy grid, one of the largest and most diverse power markets in the United States.
“Like Neptune, the Hudson project shows how this type of technology can bring reliable electric power to densely populated areas in a cost-effective, non-controversial, and environmentally friendly way,” said Edward M. Stern, president and CEO of PowerBridge. “It is also a great example of public and private interests working successfully in partnership to expand and modernize the nation’s electric system.”
