Quebec Clean Hydropower Exports Now Reach New York City

Quebec clean hydropower exports took a big step in 2026. A transmission line that carries up to 1,250 megawatts from Hydro-Québec to New York City entered commercial operation in May, ahead of schedule.

The line to New York

The Champlain Hudson Power Express runs about 600 kilometers. Trade press reported that commissioning was celebrated on June 19, 2026, and that the supply equals the use of about one million households, or up to 20 percent of the city’s electricity use.

Quebec clean hydropower exports in context

Hydro-Québec says more than 99 percent of its generation is clean energy, with 37.2 gigawatts of installed hydropower. It has 17 interconnections to Ontario, New Brunswick, New York and New England, with a combined export capacity of 7,974 megawatts, according to its own page, which is undated.

Results and plans

For 2025 the utility reported net income of 2.9 billion dollars, 7.8 billion dollars invested in Quebec and a record 184.9 terawatt hours sold in the province. It added 2,400 megawatts at nearly a dozen hydro stations, signed two wind partnership agreements of up to 7,500 megawatts and reached 15 new agreements with First Nations and Inuit communities. All figures are company reported.

Clean does not mean no impact

Hydropower is low carbon, but reservoirs and dams affect rivers, land and communities, and we have not cited specific impact studies here. Hydro-Québec is owned by the Quebec government. The new line shows how Canadian clean power can serve a huge US market, and the agreements with First Nations will be an important part of how future projects are judged.

Sources: Hydro-Québec clean energy page; Maintworld, June 2026; Hydro-Québec results, February 26, 2026. Figures marked as company reported come from the company itself.