MASSENA — Officials from the New York Power Authority and National Grid joined with elected officials, local community leaders and union representatives Thursday morning at NYPA’s new Haverstock Digital Substation to celebrate the energization of the Smart Path Connect project in Massena.
The Smart Path Connect project modernized more than 100 miles of transmission lines. Those included approximately 45 miles east from Massena to the town of Clinton, which was led by the Power Authority, and approximately 55 miles south from Croghan to Marcy, which was led by National Grid NY.
Aging wooden H-frames that date back to the 1950s were replaced with steel poles almost exclusively within existing rights-of-way, resulting in longer spans between poles and the use of less land.
The work also involved the replacement or upgrade of 10 substations. The overall project cost nearly $1 billion.
NYPA Senior Vice President Patricia Lombardi said it was the end of a multi-year project.
“This project started probably six years ago, seven years ago, right from the development phase, through engineering, through procurement, through construction, and right through to commissioning. So, it’s a really exciting day,” she said.
Lombardi said it was a huge project to undertake.
“It’s about 100 miles of transmission. So, it spans right from the north country down toward Croghan, down into Marcy,” she said.
She said National Grid was “a great partner” in the project.
“NYPA had about 45 miles of the transmission lines. National Grid had slightly more, in 55 miles, and then a number of substations. This is one of them behind us,” Lombardi said.
The rebuild converted 230-kilovolt lines to either 230-kilovolt or 345-kilovolt with associated substation construction and upgrades along the existing rights-of-way in Clinton, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Lewis and Oneida counties. She said NYPA constructed three “very large substations” as part of the project.
“National Grid had one large one as well, and then a handful of substations, especially across here in the north country, that were modified,” she said.
Kyle Murray, NYPA’s senior construction engineer for substations, said the Haverstock Digital Substation was NYPA’s largest substation in the Smart Path Connect project.
“We are using digital signals and transmit through fiber back into the building. It’s a little bit different and a little bit newer technology. But, it adds to resilience and reliability here, and it’s a little bit safer to operate the system. You’re able to control the system more remotely from inside the house, as well as remotely at our control center,” Murray said.
NYPA President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said the project benefits the entire state and the region. He thanked the NYPA and National Grid teams, “and also thank this community for all the support that you provided to us.”
“With all the disruption that a project like this brings, you saw the long-term benefits in supporting this project. Now, we bear the fruit of that development work, and we’re doing something for the betterment of the north country and the betterment of the state,” he said.
The two Smart Path Connect segments are connected by Smart Path, NYPA’s rebuild of the Moses to Adirondack transmission lines which was energized in 2024. Smart Path was an upgrade of 78 miles of transmission lines from the total 86-mile transmission artery spanning from Massena in St. Lawrence County to Croghan in Lewis County.
The two lines form one continuous 345-kilovolt transmission line between Clinton and Oneida counties, reinforcing the statewide grid and connecting energy into the power system including power from newly constructed and proposed renewable energy sources.