[7] Over the years, a number of proposals to increase transmission capacity to the New York City and Long Island markets have encountered hostile reactions and determined opposition from environmental groups and communities along the planned paths.
It was shelved by its developers in early 2009 after two years of staunch opposition from several groups concerned by the impact of pylons along the proposed route.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorized the Project developers to sell transmission rights at negotiated rates in July 2010.
[citation needed] On February 24, 2012, the parties participating in the detailed review of the project being conducted before the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) announced that they had reached a settlement of all of the issues in the proceeding.
[citation needed] The CHPE project tries to avoid difficulties encountered by other proposals by presenting itself as an "environmentally benign" solution.
[17] According to the company's president and CEO, Donald Jessome, choosing an underwater route avoids " disrupt[ing] communities with overhead transmission".
The developer says that the cable also provides economic and environmental benefits to the state, bringing low-cost and clean power to critical load centers.
[citation needed] The cables would cross the border under Lake Champlain and would run southward to the Town of Dresden north of the Village of Whitehall.
[21][22] According to the promoter, the Quebec section of the line would start at a DC conversion station to connect with Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie's Hertel substation (735-315 kV) near La Prairie, and would reach the junction point at the international border in Lake Champlain.
In addition, the CHPE could be seen as competing with a proposed 1,200 MW HVDC line to be built by the company in association with NSTAR and Northeast Utilities, which was expected to increase exports of Quebec hydropower to the neighboring New England states.
The ±320 kV power line would start at the Hertel transmission station, near La Prairie, to reach the US border on the shore of Lake Champlain.