New York's Public Service Commission gets busy on transmission projects.

Last week, the New York Public Service Commission approved more than 160 miles of upgraded high-voltage transmission projects, emphasizing the aggression with which the state is trying to tackle its climate goals under Gov. Kathy Hochul. 

The marquee project is to rebuild a 100-mile transmission line, a project known as Smart Path Connect. The state promises the project will send up saving more than $447 million and is critical to realizing "the potential for renewable energy development in Northern New York," according to a press release from the governor's office. 

The 100-mile high voltage transmission line was not the only project approved by the PSC last week. A nearly 15-mile high-voltage transmission line was approved for construction and will stretch through a handful of towns in Western New York. A 24-mile transmission line rebuild was also approved for an area just north of New York City, as well as a 26-mile underwater transmission line that will connect Westchester and Nassau Counties. 

It's great to see such steady, incremental movement in transmission construction and upgrades, especially in New York and the northeast U.S., where land claims, a mess of small towns and varying city councils could pose a challenge to getting everyone on board with such projects. New York is working toward a goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, among the most ambitious climate goals of any state in the U.S. The plan includes reaching 70% renewable energy generation by 2030.