NYES PROJECT REACHES MAJOR CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY MILESTONES

The New York Energy Solution (NYES), an electric transmission modernization project through portions of Rensselaer, Columbia, and Dutchess counties, has reached two major construction and safety milestones, paving the way for early completion. 

Project developer New York Transco, partnering with Local 1249 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), recently erected the 456th and final new NYES transmission monopole and now have the entire new transmission line in place along the 55-mile corridor. Construction work is continuing on the NYES substations. This work is scheduled to be completed this summer, many months ahead of schedule, at which time the entire transmission line will be energized and put into service to deliver clean energy to homes and businesses in the Hudson Valley and beyond.

New York Transco and Local 1249 also recently celebrated surpassing 1 million consecutive safe work hours on the project, a particularly noteworthy accomplishment given the degree of construction complexity, the heights at which much of the work is performed, and the need to continue construction throughout the Hudson Valley’s varied weather conditions.

“New York Transco is extremely pleased with the pace and quality of construction on the New York Energy Solution project, but nothing is more important than the safety of the people doing the work,” said New York Transco President Victor Mullin. “One million consecutive safe work hours is a testament to the detailed preparation and management done by the project team and the professionalism and skill of the women and men in the IBEW.”  

“I am incredibly proud of the way our team has performed over the past two years, keeping this project ahead of schedule and doing it safely,” said Local 1249 President Henry Westbrook. “It’s one thing to have a million man hours worked without an incident, but with a work schedule that’s been dark-to-dark, six and sometimes seven days a week, that’s an unbelievable feat.”                                   

Undertaken at the request of New York State, the NYES project is an essential component of the historic effort to rebuild and enhance the state’s electric transmission system to achieve 70 percent renewable energy by 2030, and 100 percent zero-emission energy by 2040.

The NYES project removes aging infrastructure and replaces it with modern, storm-resilient monopoles in an existing transmission corridor through 11 towns. The new monopoles hold a new high-capacity transmission line capable of carrying larger amounts of clean energy from generating sources to consumers.                                     

Hudson-based New York Transco prides itself on completing vital transmission modernization projects like NYES in a community-focused and environmentally sound manner. The company conceptualizes, designs, and builds its transmission projects with the best interests of the state’s environment, economy, host communities and neighbors in mind. New York Transco has produced a documentary film on its approach, using the NYES project as an example, which can be viewed at https://nytransco.com/media/video.

“Successful transmission modernization projects like NYES are a collaboration between the project developer, state and local governments, neighbors, a skilled workforce and many area businesses,” Mr. Mullin said. “We greatly appreciate the many years of feedback and cooperation that will result in a cleaner, more resilient New York.”