Exhibit 31.1

                                  CERTIFICATION

I, Steven V. Lant, certify that:

        I have reviewed  this annual  report on Form 10-K of CH Energy Group,
Inc. and Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation (collectively, the
"Registrants");

        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;

        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;

        The Registrants' other certifying officer 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, or caused such
disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, 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 presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the
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 (the Registrants' fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an
annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the Registrants' internal control over financial reporting;
and

        The Registrants' other certifying officer 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): 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.


Date:  August 13, 2004



                                            /s/ Steven V. Lant
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                     Steven V. Lant
                                     President and Chief Executive Officer of
                                     CH Energy Group, Inc.



                                            /s/ Steven V. Lant
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                     Steven V. Lant
                                     Chief Executive Officer of
                                     Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation