EXHIBIT 24

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY




      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that I, PAUL J.  GANCI,  Chairman of the
Board and Chief Executive Officer, a Principal  Executive Officer and a Director
of  Central  Hudson  Gas &  Electric  Corporation  ("Corporation"),  have  made,
constituted  and  appointed,  and by  these  presents  do make,  constitute  and
appoint, STEVEN V. LANT, DONNA S. DOYLE, WILLIAM P. REILLY, and each of them, my
true and lawful  attorneys,  for me and in my name,  place and stead,  and in my
office and  capacity as  aforesaid,  to sign and file the  Corporation's  Annual
Report,  on Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 1999, with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934,  together with any and all amendments  and  supplements to
said Annual  Report and any and all other  documents to be signed and filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection therewith,  hereby granting
to said attorneys,  and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing  whatsoever  requisite  and necessary to be done in
the premises as fully,  to all intents and  purposes,  as I might or could do if
personally  present,  hereby  ratifying and  confirming in all respects all that
said  attorneys  or any of them may or shall  lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  I have set my hand and seal this 28th day of January,
2000.

                                          /s/ PAUL J. GANCI           L.S.

STATE OF NEW YORK    )
                           : ss.:
COUNTY OF DUTCHESS )

      On this 28th day of January, 2000, before me personally came PAUL J. GANCI
to me known and known to me to be the  individual  described in and who executed
the foregoing instrument, and duly acknowledged to me that he executed the same.

                                          /s/ DONNA M. GIAMETTA
                                                Notary Public



<PAGE>


                                                            EXHIBIT 24

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, CARL E. MEYER, President and Chief
Operating  Officer,  a  Principal  Executive  Officer  and a Director of Central
Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation  ("Corporation"),  have made,  constituted and
appointed, and by these presents do make, constitute and appoint, PAUL J. GANCI,
STEVEN V. LANT, DONNA S. DOYLE, WILLIAM P. REILLY, and each of them, my true and
lawful  attorneys,  for me and in my name, place and stead, and in my office and
capacity as aforesaid, to sign and file the Corporation's Annual Report, on Form
10-K,  for the year ended  December 31, 1999,  with the  Securities and Exchange
Commission, pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934,  together with any and all  amendments  and  supplements to said Annual
Report  and any and  all  other  documents  to be  signed  and  filed  with  the
Securities and Exchange Commission in connection  therewith,  hereby granting to
said  attorneys,  and each of them,  full power and  authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing  whatsoever  requisite  and necessary to be done in
the premises as fully,  to all intents and  purposes,  as I might or could do if
personally  present,  hereby  ratifying and  confirming in all respects all that
said  attorneys  or any of them may or shall  lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  I have set my hand and seal this 28th day of January,
2000.

                                          /s/ CARL E. MEYER           L.S.

STATE OF NEW YORK    )
                           : ss.:
COUNTY OF DUTCHESS )

      On this 28th day of January, 2000, before me personally came CARL E. MEYER
to me known and known to me to be the  individual  described in and who executed
the foregoing instrument, and duly acknowledged to me that he executed the same.

                                          /s/ DONNA M. GIAMETTA
                                                Notary Public



<PAGE>


                                                            EXHIBIT 24

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that I,  ARTHUR  R.  UPRIGHT,  Sr.  Vice
President - Regulatory Affairs,  Financial Planning and Accounting,  a Principal
Executive  Officer and a Director of Central  Hudson Gas & Electric  Corporation
("Corporation"),  have made, constituted and appointed, and by these presents do
make,  constitute and appoint,  PAUL J. GANCI,  STEVEN V. LANT,  DONNA S. DOYLE,
WILLIAM P. REILLY, and each of them, my true and lawful attorneys, for me and in
my name,  place and stead,  and in my office and capacity as aforesaid,  to sign
and file the  Corporation's  Annual  Report,  on Form  10-K,  for the year ended
December 31, 1999, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,  pursuant to the
applicable  provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, together with any
and all amendments  and  supplements to said Annual Report and any and all other
documents to be signed and filed with the Securities and Exchange  Commission in
connection therewith,  hereby granting to said attorneys, and each of them, full
power and  authority to do and perform  each and every act and thing  whatsoever
requisite and necessary to be done in the premises as fully,  to all intents and
purposes,  as I might or could do if personally  present,  hereby  ratifying and
confirming  in all respects all that said  attorneys or any of them may or shall
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  I have set my hand and seal this 28th day of January,
2000.

                                          /s/ ARTHUR R. UPRIGHT       L.S.

STATE OF NEW YORK    )
                           : ss.:
COUNTY OF DUTCHESS )

      On this 28th day of January,  2000,  before me  personally  came ARTHUR R.
UPRIGHT to me known and known to me to be the  individual  described  in and who
executed the foregoing instrument,  and duly acknowledged to me that he executed
the same.

                                          /s/ DONNA M. GIAMETTA
                                                Notary Public


<PAGE>


                                                            EXHIBIT 24

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that I,  STEVEN V. LANT,  Treasurer  and
Chief Financial Officer, a Principal Executive Officer,  the Principal Financial
Officer   and  a  Director  of  Central   Hudson  Gas  &  Electric   Corporation
("Corporation"),  have made, constituted and appointed, and by these presents do
make,  constitute and appoint, PAUL J. GANCI, DONNA S. DOYLE, WILLIAM P. REILLY,
and each of them, my true and lawful attorneys, for me and in my name, place and
stead,  and in my  office  and  capacity  as  aforesaid,  to sign  and  file the
Corporation's Annual Report, on Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 1999,
with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  pursuant  to  the  applicable
provisions  of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,  together with any and all
amendments and supplements to said Annual Report and any and all other documents
to be signed and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection
therewith,  hereby granting to said attorneys,  and each of them, full power and
authority  to do and perform each and every act and thing  whatsoever  requisite
and necessary to be done in the premises as fully,  to all intents and purposes,
as I might or could do if personally present, hereby ratifying and confirming in
all respects all that said  attorneys or any of them may or shall lawfully do or
cause to be done by virtue hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  I have set my hand and seal this 28th day of January,
2000.

                                          /s/ STEVEN V. LANT          L.S.

STATE OF NEW YORK    )
                           : ss.:
COUNTY OF DUTCHESS )

      On this 28th day of January,  2000,  before me  personally  came STEVEN V.
LANT to me known  and  known  to me to be the  individual  described  in and who
executed the foregoing instrument,  and duly acknowledged to me that he executed
the same.

                                          /s/ DONNA M. GIAMETTA
                                                Notary Public

C:\WPDOCS\CHGEPOW.CON

<PAGE>


                                                            EXHIBIT 24

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS,  that I, DONNA S. DOYLE,  Vice President -
Accounting  and  Controller,   a  Principal   Executive  Officer  and  Principal
Accounting Officer of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation ("Corporation"),
have made, constituted and appointed,  and by these presents do make, constitute
and appoint, PAUL J. GANCI, STEVEN V. LANT, WILLIAM P. REILLY, and each of them,
my true and lawful attorneys,  for me and in my name, place and stead, and in my
office and  capacity as  aforesaid,  to sign and file the  Corporation's  Annual
Report,  on Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 1999, with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934,  together with any and all amendments  and  supplements to
said Annual  Report and any and all other  documents to be signed and filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection therewith,  hereby granting
to said attorneys,  and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing  whatsoever  requisite  and necessary to be done in
the premises as fully,  to all intents and  purposes,  as I might or could do if
personally  present,  hereby  ratifying and  confirming in all respects all that
said  attorneys  or any of them may or shall  lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  I have set my hand and seal this 28th day of January,
2000.

                                          /s/ DONNA S. DOYLE          L.S.

STATE OF NEW YORK    )
                           : ss.:
COUNTY OF DUTCHESS )

      On this 28th day of  January,  2000,  before me  personally  came DONNA S.
DOYLE to me known  and  known to me to be the  individual  described  in and who
executed the foregoing instrument, and duly acknowledged to me that she executed
the same.

                                          /s/ DONNA M. GIAMETTA
                                                Notary Public
<PAGE>


                                                              EXHIBIT 24

      I, Gladys L. Cooper,  Corporate Secretary of Central Hudson Gas & Electric
Corporation,  hereby  certify  that at the meeting of the Board of  Directors of
Central Hudson Gas & Electric  Corporation,  a corporation  organized  under the
laws of the  State of New  York,  duly  called  and held at the  office  of said
Corporation,  284 South Avenue, in the City of Poughkeepsie,  State of New York,
on January 28, 2000,  at which a quorum was present and voting  throughout,  the
following  resolution was  unanimously and duly adopted and is now in full force
and effect:

                  RESOLVED,  that  the  Annual  Report  to  the  Securities  and
            Exchange  Commission,  on Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31,
            1999, in the form presented to this meeting,  be and the same hereby
            is in all respects approved;  and that the Chairman of the Board and
            Chief Executive  Officer and the Officers of this Corporation be and
            they hereby are  authorized  in the name and on behalf of this Board
            of Directors and this  Corporation to execute said Form 10-K Report,
            in the form  presented to this meeting,  which form will be modified
            to reflect this  Corporation's  operations,  financial  position and
            corporate  structure,  and that the Officers  and  Directors of this
            Corporation  be and they hereby are requested and authorized to join
            in the execution of said Form 10-K Report,  and that the Chairman of
            the Board and the  Officers of this  Corporation  be and they hereby
            are authorized and directed to file or cause to be filed as required
            or  permitted  by law said  Form  10-K,  together  with  appropriate
            Exhibits,  as  required  in  connection  therewith,  subject to such
            changes  therein as the  Chairman  of the Board and Chief  Executive
            Officer and the  Officers of this  Corporation,  advised by counsel,
            may deem necessary or appropriate to comply with the requirements of
            the  Securities and Exchange  Commission;  and to do and cause to be
            done any and all  things  necessary  or  appropriate  to effect  the
            filing of said Form 10-K and any amendments thereto.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand as Corporate Secretary of
Central  Hudson Gas & Electric  Corporation  and affixed it corporate  seal this
28th day of January, 2000.

                                                   /s/   Gladys L. Cooper
                                                ----------------------------
                                                      Gladys L. Cooper
                                                    Corporate Secretary


<PAGE>