By: Brendan Spiegel

New York’s push to modernize its power grid is translating into a growing pipeline of major construction projects—and hundreds of union jobs across the city.

And there is much more work ahead. As buildings and transportation increasingly rely on electricity and the state develops new sources of energy, the infrastructure needed to carry that power is driving major new construction. Two Con Edison projects already underway in Brooklyn and Queens alone represent more than $2 billion in investment and are expected to create more than 900 union construction jobs.

In Southeast Queens, Con Edison is building the $1.2 billion Idlewild project, which includes two new substations and a new electric network. The project is designed to meet growing electricity demand in the area while supporting the electrification of John F. Kennedy International Airport, MTA buses and buildings in Queens. Con Edison says construction will create more than 400 skilled union jobs.

In Brooklyn’s Vinegar Hill neighborhood, the $810 million Brooklyn Clean Energy Hub is transforming the site of three former gas combustion turbines into a transmission substation. The project is designed to bring additional power into the city while providing connections for offshore wind and other clean-energy sources. Con Edison says construction will create more than 500 skilled union jobs.

A new report released this week offers a broader look at the economic activity surrounding that work. Con Edison generated $24.8 billion in economic output and supported 39,700 jobs across New York State in 2025, according to the economic impact report developed with HR&A Advisors. More than 14,000 were Con Edison employees, with thousands more supported through contracts, purchasing and other economic activity. 

For union trades and contractors, one notable number is the scale of the company’s contracting. Con Edison spent $2 billion on contracts with New York State businesses in 2025, including approximately $1.2 billion with companies in New York City and Westchester County. That spending supported more than 8,800 indirect jobs, many in skilled labor, according to the report. 

“Every day, Con Edison's investments in New York's energy system put union carpenters to work across the five boroughs and Westchester,” said Paul Capurso, executive secretary-treasurer of the New York City District Council of Carpenters. “This report shows what that means for our city: $24.8 billion in economic output, nearly 40,000 jobs statewide, and $2 billion in contracts with New York businesses.”

“We are proud to partner with Con Edison to create union careers with good wages and benefits,” Capurso continued. “Together, we’re creating a path into the middle class, and our members are proud to help build the infrastructure that keeps New York running.” 

Con Edison President Matthew Ketschke said the company expects that infrastructure investment to continue.

“Reliable energy is the foundation of a strong economy,” Ketschke said. “As we look ahead, we will continue investing in the infrastructure, people and partnerships that help New York thrive while working to advance a clean, resilient and reliable energy system.” 

For carpenters, large-scale energy projects can mean substantial work well beyond the construction of the substations themselves, said Adam Harkin, vice president of the New York City District Council of Carpenters. Running new utility lines can put dockbuilders, timbermen, heavy carpenters and the heavy civil contractors that employ them to work, he said.

And Harkin expects the opportunities to extend well beyond the projects currently underway. New York State is pursuing new energy infrastructure across a range of technologies, which he said could translate into years of additional work for union carpenters and contractors.

“When you look at the state’s push toward green power, alternative energy and nuclear power, all of those things mean more hours for our carpenters and our contractors,” Harkin said.

The projects reflect a broader construction challenge facing New York’s energy system. Growing electricity demand, the electrification of transportation and buildings, and efforts to bring new sources of power onto the grid all require new substations, transmission capacity, utility lines and upgrades to existing infrastructure.

For New Yorkers, the construction is part of the enormous job of building an energy system capable of meeting the city’s changing needs. For the construction industry, it also represents a growing pipeline of opportunities for the union carpenters and contractors who will help build it.