USA, New York: A landmark agreement has given the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke a co-ownership stake in the Champlain Hudson Power Express, a 545-km (339-mi) transmission line delivering 1,250 MW of Canadian hydropower to Manhattan. The line, which will come online this May, is set to provide up to 20 % of New York City’s electricity.
The deal comes nearly a decade after the late Grand Chief Joseph Tokwiro Norton insisted that his community be included in the project, which crosses Mohawk land. Without Kahnawà:ke’s involvement, the city could not have purchased power from the line. Today, the community holds a minimum 10 % stake, with the option to increase ownership to 49 %, pending a community decision.
“This arrangement is a model for Indigenous inclusion in energy projects,” said former Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, who helped secure the agreement after Norton passed away in 2020. Unlike the US segment of the line, where local Haudenosaunee nations were offered no participation, the Canadian side provides the community with real equity and predictable returns.
The agreement marks a significant milestone for Hydro-Québec, which has historically faced criticism over energy projects on unceded Indigenous land. Quebec law was amended in 2023 to allow First Nations to co-own infrastructure with the Crown Corporation, enabling Kahnawà:ke’s unprecedented partnership.
While New York state celebrates the project as a clean energy success, Indigenous groups south of the border remain excluded from ownership. Local tribes rely on voluntary consultation, as legal avenues to reclaim ancestral land are extremely limited.
As hydropower begins flowing to Manhattan, Kahnawà:ke’s stake highlights the value of Indigenous participation in major energy projects and sets a potential example for future cross-border collaborations.
Source: Time
