New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's Administration is stepping up its Pursuit of a Transmission Line that would pipe Canadian Hydroelectricity Directly into the City's Five Boroughs.

The City may help Build the Line to make it happen.

Officials finalized a Contract last week with White & Case, a Firm Specializing in International Legal Matters, to Explore Purchasing Hydropower from the Champlain Hudson Power Express, a Proposed Conduit that would run under the Hudson River from Quebec to New York City.

And in what Budget Experts characterized as an Unusual Move, the City will also Explore the Possibility of Financing the $3 Billion Transmission Line.

For an Administration that has cast itself as a Leader in Fighting Climate Change, drawing Power from an Existing Hydroelectric Plant seems to fit into its Plan to Reduce Carbon Emissions.

"We're continuing to fulfill our commitment to powering city government with all clean energy by 2023," Mayoral Spokesperson Seth Stein said in a Statement. "We have brought on this firm to help us find the best way forward and to help determine the terms of any future deals." He continued.

But Environmental Advocates argue that Relying on the Canadian Transmission Line is a Convenient Way to Protect New York's Environmental Bona Fides while Papering Over a Failure to Promote more Comprehensive Overhauls of the City's Power Grid and Pricier Efficiency Measures for the City's Building Stock.










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