Exhibit 31.1

I, Steven V. Lant, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer
of CH Energy Group, Inc. and Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation (collectively the "Registrants"),
certify for each of the Registrants that:

      1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of the Registrants;

      2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
      make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
      statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
      this report;

      3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this report, fairly present in all material
      respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
      the Registrants as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

      4. The Registrants' other certifying officers and I are responsible for
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Registrants
      and have:

            a)    designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure
                  that material information relating to the Registrants,
                  including their consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us
                  by others within those entities, particularly during the
                  period in which this report is being prepared;

            b)    evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrants' disclosure
                  controls and procedures and prescribed in this report our
                  conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
                  and procedures, as of the end of period covered by this report
                  based on such evaluation; and

            c)    disclosed in this report any change in the Registrants'
                  internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
                  the Registrants' most recent fiscal quarter that has
                  materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
                  affect, the Registrants' internal control over financial
                  reporting.

      5. The Registrants' other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based
      on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
      reporting, to the Registrants' auditors and the audit committee of
      Registrants' boards of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
      functions):


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            a)    all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                  design or operation of internal control over financial
                  reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
                  Registrants' ability to record, process, summarize and report
                  financial information; and

            b)    any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                  or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  Registrants' internal control over financial reporting.

                                    CH ENERGY GROUP, INC.
                                        (Registrant)

                   By:                /s/ Steven V. Lant
                      --------------------------------------------------
                                       Steven V. Lant
                            Chairman of the Board, President and
                                   Chief Executive Officer


                          CENTRAL HUDSON GAS & ELECTRIC CORPORATION
                                       (Co-Registrant)

                   By:                /s/ Steven V. Lant
                      --------------------------------------------------
                                       Steven V. Lant
                      Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

Dated: May 7, 2004


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