Photo courtesy of the Governor’s office
Governor Kathy Hochul came to Astoria on Sept. 19 to announce that the transformation of “Asthma Alley” is underway with the construction of a converter station at the Con Edison Yard just north of the Hell Gate Bridge. Once completed, the state-of-the-art facility will convert 1,250 megawatts of clean energy from the 339-mile Champlain Hudson Power Express underground transmission line into power for one million New York City homes.
“Renewable energy plays a critical role in the transformation of our power grid while creating a cleaner environment for our future generations,” Hochul said. “The transformation of a fossil fuel site into a zero-emission facility highlights the world of possibilities we have to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, mitigate the impact of climate change and accelerate our collective progress of shifting our power grid to go green.”
The facility is being built at the location of the old Charles Poletti Power Plant that was closed in 2010 after it was named the city’s worst polluter and torn down. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said the ground-breaking ceremony in Astoria, coinciding with Climate Week NYC, represents the start of a new era.
“Queens knows all too well the devastating consequences of unchecked climate change and fossil fuel consumption. To ensure our borough is not only a livable but thriving place for the next generations, we must move with the urgency of now in our total transition to renewable energy,” Richards said. “That promise of a cleaner, more sustainable future is exactly what the Champlain Hudson Power Express represents. As Queens continues its push toward becoming a global leader in resiliency and renewable energy, our borough is grateful to everyone on each side of the U.S.-Canada border who had a hand in making this day possible.”
Significant remediation work was required to prepare the site for the construction of the…
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