The New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) engaged VHB to support an ambitious project to replace the aging seven 115-kV high-voltage electric transmission cables under Lake Chaplain with four new 230-kV cables, operating at 115 kV. VHB provided planning, design, and permitting services for this effort, which also involved setting up new transition stations and overhead structures that would provide an overall upgrade to the region's power infrastructure.
VHB conducted natural resource assessments and collaborated closely with the project owners to navigate the permit process, securing a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404 Permit, a New York State Public Service Commission Article VII permit, and a Vermont Lake Encroachment Permit, and construction stormwater permits for both states. Together with project Program Manager CHA Consulting, Inc., VHB developed water quality monitoring plans that met the standards set by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the Vermont DEC. The complex monitoring plans involved real-time sampling for total suspended solids and metals to monitor water quality impacts in New York and installing monitoring equipment that collected continuous data in Vermont. The water quality monitoring results demonstrated the effectiveness of the project’s construction methods in meeting each state entity’s renewable energy goals and protecting the lake’s water quality.
