Smart Path Connect Bolsters New York’s Clean Energy Future and Grid Reliability

The Business Council of Westchester’s Clean Energy Action Coalition (CEAC) has long championed the investments needed to modernize New York’s energy infrastructure. The Smart Path Connect marks another significant milestone in that effort, a transformative transmission project that will strengthen the state’s electric grid, unlock greater capacity and reliability, and deliver an estimated $438 million in annual savings for New Yorkers.

Developed through a partnership between BCW member the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and National Grid, the approximately 100-mile transmission upgrade expands the movement of low-cost renewable energy across New York, unlocking approximately 1 gigawatt of additional clean energy capacity and reducing transmission congestion that can contribute to higher energy costs.

The project modernized transmission infrastructure across Clinton, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Lewis, and Oneida counties through the construction of new substations, upgrades to existing facilities, and improvements to high-voltage transmission lines. Together with NYPA’s previously completed Smart Path project, the investment creates nearly 200 continuous miles of upgraded 345-kilovolt transmission infrastructure, enhancing the state’s ability to deliver reliable electricity to homes, businesses, and communities.

As electricity demand continues to grow, investments in transmission are becoming increasingly important to supporting economic development, attracting new businesses, and ensuring that renewable energy resources can be delivered efficiently across the state. Modernized transmission infrastructure also strengthens grid resilience during extreme weather events while helping position New York to meet its long-term energy and climate goals.

Smart Path Connect is part of New York’s largest transmission investment in more than 50 years and joins several other major grid modernization initiatives underway across the state, including projects designed to expand transmission capacity in the Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island. Collectively, these investments are laying the foundation for a stronger, more resilient electric grid capable of supporting future economic growth while delivering cleaner, more affordable energy to New Yorkers.