New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wants all of his city’s public infrastructure to be powered by greenhouse gas “zero emission Canadian hydropower” and wants an agreement signed before the end of the year 2020.
This commitment is part of the action plan of the American metropolis to fight against climate change. This New York policy of “Green New Deal” was unveiled Monday by the mayor of Blasio.
Among the targets, we want a total reduction in GHG emissions of 40% compared to the 2005 level, by 2030.
To achieve this, New York is committed to ensuring that the energy source for all municipal infrastructure is 100% clean. This measure alone would allow a 5% reduction in GHG emissions, or one eighth of the total target.
In his press release, Bill de Blasio says he wants to start negotiations “on the spot” to get an agreement by the end of next year.
The premier of Quebec, François Legault, welcomed the announcement in a message posted on his Twitter account.
“WOW! The mayor of New York announces the relaunch of negotiations with Hydro-Quebec, he wrote. Hydro-Quebec can become the green battery of Northeast America. “
The state-owned company responded by issuing a press release stating that it “will be happy to continue discussions with the City of New York” to make the Champlain Hudson Power Express line project a reality.
According to Hydro-Quebec, this distribution line would deliver eight terawatt-hours of electricity to the largest city in the United States.
The cables would be buried, underground and under water, over a distance of more than 530 kilometers. According to information available online, the project has been on the table for over ten years now.
According to a technical sheet posted on a website dedicated to the project, the initial schedule provided for the start of construction in 2018 and the commissioning of the network in 2021. This, however, did not materialize.
“For a project like this, we were waiting for the right commercial outlet to launch it. It’s a very good project, but we wanted a commercial outlet that would allow us to secure the investment, ”explains Hydro-Québec spokesperson Lynn St-Laurent.
The two parties will therefore quickly resume negotiations for a long-term supply contract to supply New York with hydroelectricity from Quebec.
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