If you’ve noticed a lot of construction along the railroads in the Clinton, Denton and Daniels Road area, we have some answers for you.

Champlain Hudson Power Express is building a 339-mile power transmission line from Hydro-Quebec in Canada to New York City for clean energy transmission. This renewable hydropower energy will be built underground through the waterways, along railroads, roads and both public and private land. In Greenfield, the route crosses only in the area mentioned above in the “right of way” along the train tracks. The work in Greenfield began around June of 2024 and is expected to continue through January of 2025. Work includes clearing of trees, constructing the utility trench to place the cables in, and a process known as Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) that allows the cable to go deeper underground to avoid obstacles.

CHPE has asked for permission from each and every town and private land owner involved. In Greenfield, CHPE entered agreements with landowners to use two private parcels, securing permanent and temporary easements by mutual agreement in March of 2023. If you have not been contacted by CHPE, the project will not impact your private property.

Greenfield’s Town Board approved to support this project by resolution on Sept. 10, 2020. The town entered a road use agreement that was signed Feb. 8, 2024, detailing the parameters for the work that crosses the affected Denton Road.

The energy will be delivered to a converter station in Astoria Queens, N.Y. and will benefit Con Edison customers. According to CHPE’s Director of Stakeholder Engagement Andrew Rush, there will be significant economic and environmental benefit for every community along the project’s path.

In addition to hiring local contractors, like MJ Engineering in Clifton Park, CHPE has arranged a substantial payment revenue to the town, Saratoga County and the Saratoga Springs School District during the 40 to 60-year operating life of the project. More than $126 million dollars will be paid to Saratoga County, and the county will distribute approximately $5 million in funds to each of the impacted communities, including Greenfield.

CHPE also has a community engagement fund to support local initiatives. In Greenfield, officials are still working out what this project will include. The plans should be solidified by September. One thing being considered, according to Supervisor Kevin Veitch, is a project to run electric in Brookhaven Park, which will allow us to finish plans for development of a bathroom and renovated pavilion at that site. Stay tuned to hear more.

“We recognize that our work does cause some amount of inconvenience to those living near the sites, such as tree removal and traffic delays,” Rush said. “We look to minimize the impacts to the resident the best we can.”

If you have concerns about anything related to this project, Rush said residents can call the CHPE hotline at 800-991-CHPE (2473) or email publicoutreach@chpexpress.
com.

Veitch said this project will allow us to fund upgrades to our public infrastructure with little impact to our tax base. One such project in consideration is a new community center adjacent to Greenfield Town Hall.