New York State runs on a mix of its own generation and imports — and the imports are a bigger part of the story than most New Yorkers realize. On many days, a meaningful slice of the power lighting Manhattan started as water falling in Quebec.
New York’s supply comes from four buckets:
NYISO’s total import capability from all directions is on the order of 5–7 GW. The Quebec corridor alone can carry about 3,400 MW, and the Ontario connections several GW more. Actual imports swing hour by hour with prices and weather — watch them live on the PowerTrip map.
Game-changer for NYC: a ~1,250 MW HVDC line running from the Quebec border underwater through Lake Champlain and the Hudson River directly into Queens. It’s purpose-built so Quebec hydro can reach the five boroughs without overloading the upstate AC network — and it’s already reshaping New York City’s emissions profile.
New York still generates most of its own power, so a sudden import loss isn’t a blackout — but it tightens reserves, raises prices, and forces gas plants to ramp. During regional heat waves, losing the Quebec corridor would be genuinely painful. You can model this yourself with the Blackout Simulator.
Partially, yes. Quebec imports — especially since the Champlain Hudson line — feed directly into NYC’s supply. The exact share varies by hour and season.
Often, especially off-peak and during mild weather. During Northeast heat waves, New England and New York prices spike and imports become extremely valuable.
Nine Mile Point, FitzPatrick and Ginna on Lake Ontario (upstate). Indian Point, which once supplied NYC directly, closed in 2021 — its output was partly replaced by imports and gas.