BOONVILLE, N.Y. — Crews working on Smart Path Connect, one of the largest and most ambitious energy infrastructure projects in New York, surpassed a major milestone in mid-April with the construction of the project’s 100th pole. While the steel monopoles along the 55-mile Southern Alignment from Croghan to Marcy represent the most visible work on the project, much has occurred since ground was broken.

“Each day, more than 150 individuals come together giving their time and talent to keep our project on schedule while remaining focused on safe work practices,” said Scott Hunter, National Grid’s Construction Supervisor for Smart Path Connect. “Being from the area, it’s nice to see our team is proud to be a part of our community for the next few years.”

More than 185,000 work hours have been dedicated to the project to date on the Southern Alignment and about 28,000 survey stakes have been placed along the route. Access roads along the route are about one-third complete.

The Southern Alignment of Smart Path Connect is part of a multi-phase portfolio of projects with the New York Power Authority that include the rebuild of more than 100 miles of transmission lines. NYPA crews are focused on the Northern Alignment, a 45-mile segment of transmission between Massena and the town of Clinton. National Grid is responsible for a 55-mile section of the project between Croghan in and the town of Marcy, known as the Southern Alignment. The 86-mile Moses-Adirondack transmission line, which will be completed in mid-2023, will connect the two. Several substations along the way will either be rebuilt or replaced.

When completed, Smart Path Connect project will deliver over 1,000 megawatts of low-cost hydropower generated along the St. Lawrence River, as well as solar and wind generation in northern New York, further reducing the reliance of carbon-emitting plants. Its environmental impact includes annual reductions of carbon dioxide emissions by 1.16 million tons and nitrogen oxide emissions by 160 tons. Smart Path Connect supports the clean energy goals outlined in New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act – calling for zero-emissions electricity sector by 2040, 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030 – and aligns with National Grid’s Fossil Fuel Free Vision.

Construction on Smart Path Connect is scheduled to run until June 2026.

Safety Near Rights-of-Way

National Grid reminds the public that power line rights-of-way are private property. Unauthorized trespass by trail bikes, all-terrain vehicles and other off-road vehicles of any kind is unlawful.

“The weather is getting warmer and we’re seeing more hikers, bikers and ATV users out on the trails,” Hunter said. “For their safety and the safety of our crews, we ask that the public avoid the rights-of-way of this project and follow directions on signage on our rights-of-way.”

Crews have created temporary access roads to facilitate work on the project. These roads are intended for construction equipment and not public use. The roads will be removed after the project is completed.

National Grid rights-of-way provide protection to critical infrastructure for our electric and gas networks. We limit activities within rights-of-way and strictly prohibit unauthorized access on rights-of-way with any motorized vehicle to protect the public and avoid the potential of costly damage to our equipment. Only authorized personnel are permitted to use access roads along National Grid rights-of-way.

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.