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National Grid
Announces the Upstate Upgrade Initiative
Published: March 20, 2024 at
07:00 p.m.
By: Press Release from National Grid
National Grid Announces the Upstate Upgrade;
Multi-year Initiative Will Improve Grid Resilience, Deliver Significant
Benefits for Customers, Local Economies
National Grid
plans to invest more than $4 billion to transform its energy delivery
system and propel economic growth across Upstate New York. Called the Upstate
Upgrade, the collection of transmission enhancement projects will
deliver a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy grid to support a more
resilient energy network for generations to come. The company is embarking
on more than 70 projects through 2030 that
will generate thousands of new jobs and more than a billion dollars in
additional economic growth, while ensuring the energy grid is able to meet
customers’ growing demand for electricity.
“The Upstate
Upgrade represents a landmark investment and speaks to how
National Grid is reinforcing the grid to meet our customers’ growing energy
needs while leading the clean energy transition,” said Rudy Wynter,
National Grid New York President. “This six-year portfolio of work will
transform the grid, improve reliability and resilience and enable us to
deliver renewable energy to homes and businesses across New York.”
In addition to
helping reach the state’s climate goals as outlined in New York’s Climate
Leadership and Community Protection Act, the upgrades will deliver for
Upstate New York customers by:
Improving the Energy Grid’s Resilience: By
reinforcing and upgrading infrastructure like transmission lines and
substations, the Upstate Upgrade will provide greater resilience in the
face of increasingly frequent extreme weather, such as blizzards,
tornadoes, and severe windstorms, which are destructive to grid
infrastructure. That can mean fewer outages in the future and, when outages
do happen, power can be restored quicker. Advanced security measures also will be implemented to safeguard our network from
external threats.
Strengthening the Upstate Economy: The Upstate
Upgrade will benefit local economies by bringing over 1,700 new
construction jobs, and associated residual spending to local communities,
which in turn will create thousands of additional jobs, and at least $1.9
billion in overall economic output during and after construction, according
to a third-party analysis performed by the consultancy West Monroe. The
analysis also forecasts the Upstate Upgrade will create up to 2% economic
growth in the project areas through 2030.
Powering Upstate’s
Energy Future: As new industry drives growth and revitalizes
the region, the Upstate Upgrade will ensure that the electric grid can meet
customers’ increasing day-to-day demands, including the needs of growing
industries, while encouraging more investment and creating new jobs.
The full scope of
the Upstate Upgrade, including projects and benefits, can be
found at our dedicated website: UpstateUpgrade.NationalGrid.com.
Julie Tighe,
President of New York League of Conservation Voters: “There is
no transition without transmission. Decarbonizing the state’s grid will
require more than just generating wind, solar, and hydro power; we also
need the poles and wires to deliver all that electricity to
our homes and businesses. We applaud National Grid for prioritizing clean
energy delivery in New York State."
Rob Simpson, President and CEO of CenterState
Corporation for Economic Opportunity: “Recent economic development
announcements in the Syracuse region and across Upstate demonstrate that
the reliability of New York’s electric grid and the availability of
abundant, clean energy is a competitive advantage, nationally and globally.
The Upstate Upgrade will support New York’s increasing demand for
electricity and encourage further investment and growth with a more
efficient and resilient grid. With billions of dollars in new investment,
and thousands of jobs generated directly and indirectly from National
Grid’s efforts, the Upstate Upgrade will help our businesses thrive and
communities prosper.”
Hui Peng Koh,
GlobalFoundries VP and General Manager: “We applaud National Grid
for sharing in our commitment to innovation, job creation and
sustainability. The electricity and semiconductor industries rely on each
other, and the Upstate Upgrade will help our region achieve a cutting-edge
energy infrastructure to support future growth.”
Mark Eagan,
President and CEO of the Capital Region Chamber and the Center for Economic
Growth: “The Upstate Upgrade will transform our electric grid and make
additional economic growth possible throughout the state and into the
Capital Region. This $4 billion investment over the next six years will
spur significant job creation and ensure our communities remain vibrant,
prosperous, and growing for years to come. A more resilient, secure, and
efficient grid will help drive growth for the Capital Region and all New
Yorkers.”
Dottie Gallagher,
President & CEO at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership: “The
Buffalo Niagara Partnership welcomes National Grid's comprehensive plan to
invest in its electric infrastructure. Affordable, reliable energy is
an essential component of economic development and National Grid's
investments will help Buffalo Niagara and all of
Upstate build a stronger, more competitive, and more equitable
economy.”
Nicholas Bruno,
Vice President Business Development at Mohawk Valley EDGE: “We commend
National Grid for their ambitious Upstate Upgrade initiative, a testament
to their commitment to building a smarter, stronger, and cleaner energy
grid for the Mohawk Valley and Upstate New York. These upgrades bolster our
local economies by contributing to the Marcy Nanocenter's
prospective success, providing opportunities for additional industrial
sites, creating new jobs, increasing property taxes, and ultimately
contributing to a sustainable future aligned with New York's CLCPA goals.
By prioritizing economic development and community engagement, National
Grid sets a commendable example of corporate responsibility and partnership
that Mohawk Valley EDGE applauds, and we look forward to seeing the results
of their efforts.”
Garry Douglas,
President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce: "Ample
and reliable power in the North Country has never been more important than
it is now with the major transition to electric from other energy sources
and with economic development opportunities increasingly needing larger
scale power access. That's why National Grid's Upstate Upgrade is so
welcome and important. It is a very timely and indisputably crucial
investment in sustaining and growing our regional economy in the years
ahead and we thank National Grid for this historic commitment.”
Anne Boles,
Executive Director of the Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce: “National
Grid’s Upstate Upgrade will power the Southern Adirondacks and Mohawk
Valley's economic future. These critical upgrades will not only increase
the capacity and resiliency of our electric grid, but will bring
good-paying jobs, support existing businesses, and help spur new ones.
Thanks to these investments, we can look forward to strengthening the
region's business climate, economy, and quality of life. It is our mission
at the Chamber to support innovation, and to partner in business, workforce,
and tourism & economic development.”
Patrick J. Kelly,
Chief Executive Officer St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency: “Robust,
dependable, and secure electric grid infrastructure is a competitive
necessity today and is essential for future economic development success.
The Upstate Upgrade being undertaken by National Grid will continue to
position central and northern New York State on the leading edge of the
transition to renewable and clean energy sources, while reinforcing the
foundation of our traditional industrial base.”
The Upstate
Upgrade website includes more
perspectives from local leaders, as well as ways National Grid
supports our communities.
Modernized Grid
Will Deliver for Customers, Communities
National
Grid’s Upstate Upgrade focuses on modernizing the
transmission system to meet the expanded electricity needs of the growing
economy and to power more electrical devices than ever before, including
electric vehicles and heat pumps. And, while the current network has served
customers well for more than a century, it wasn’t designed to connect and
transport the amounts of wind and solar power that will be produced across
the region.
The company will
construct or rebuild more than 1,000 miles of transmission line, 45
substations, and install new technologies that prevent load loss, monitor
load fluctuations, and resolve congestion. This work also will protect the
transmission grid against the increasing threat of extreme weather.
“The Upstate
Upgrade is our largest investment in New York’s electricity
transmission system since it was built more than 100 years ago.” Wynter
said. “While the grid has served us well for over a century, it’s time to
make the changes that will set us up for the next century of growth and
success in New York.
“In addition,
the Upstate Upgrade brings with it a different type of
energy: economic growth,” Wynter said. “It will fuel local economies where
our work will be concentrated with new jobs and spending,
and expand the property tax base that supports local services,
schools and communities.”
Economic analysis
performed for National Grid by the consulting group West Monroe indicates
that the Upstate Upgrade could generate
nearly $2 billion in economic output across New York
state.
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Economic Benefits of the
Upstate Upgrade
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Direct Jobs Created During
Construction
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More than 1,700
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Total Economic
Output
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At least $1.9 billion resulting in up to 2% increase in
expected growth across the project areas
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Local Sourcing (During
Construction)
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More than $300 million
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“The Upstate
Upgrade means thousands of new jobs for the region, not just
boosting local businesses, but also increasing property values and the
prospects for new storefronts in the region with improved energy
infrastructure,” said Paul DeCotis, a senior partner at West Monroe. “As an
Upstate New York resident, it's a real win-win for community members and
business owners with more reliable electric service, opportunities for
greater economic expansion, and long-term prosperity in our counties for
generations to come."
Consistent,
Transparent Information Sharing
To support this
historic grid rebuild, the company has launched a new website – UpstateUpgrade.NationalGrid.com –
which will serve as a digital hub for details about the projects as they
develop, including maps and updates, outreach events and how the Upstate
Upgrade will benefit every New Yorker.
"National
Grid is committed to working with and strengthening the communities we
serve,” Wynter said. “One of the ways we do that is by conducting
thoughtful, transparent outreach to residential and business customers,
landowners, and elected officials to keep them informed about the Upstate
Upgrade and offer them the opportunity to provide their thoughts.
Our project website is another way we will be facilitating that
conversation over the next six years.”
National Grid is
the largest energy delivery company in Upstate New York, serving
electricity to 1.7 million electricity customers across 25,000 square
miles.
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