InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/series/northern-pass/page/23)
As the adjudicative hearings continue in Concord before the state Site Evaluation Committee, InDepthNH.org will post your comments on our Northern Pass page. Email your comments to Nancywestnews@gmail.com.
CONCORD — Many opponents of the Northern Pass project want the entire 192 miles of transmission line between Canada and Deerfield buried, but on Friday landowners said a decision two years ago to increase the buried portion to 60 miles was ill-conceived and based on political pressure rather than a thorough study.
CONCORD — Eversource Energy researched what it would cost to bury the entire 192-mile Northern Pass transmission line proposed from Pittsburg to Deerfield, but decided the extra $1 billion price tag was just too much, according to William Quinlan, Eversource’s president of New Hampshire Operations.
A petition signed by nearly 90 small and local businesses from throughout New Hampshire calling for full burial of the proposed Northern Pass project has been delivered to Governor Sununu and New Hampshire’s Site Evaluation Committee.
Amid ongoing confusion, the trial-like proceedings that will determine whether the state approves or denies Northern Pass’ application to build a 192-mile transmission line from Pittsburg to Deerfield will begin on Thursday, April 13.
The fate of the Northern Pass transmission project lies in the hands of state regulators who are about to begin a key phase of the permitting process. Regulators decided Thursday not to suspend deliberations and continue with the current schedule.
Utility giant National Grid provided lots of surprises Tuesday when it announced plans for a transmission project to deliver up to 1,200 megawatts of renewable energy from Quebec to Vermont, then down a corridor in New Hampshire.
The state Public Utilities Commission has dismissed Eversource’s petition for a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with Hydro Renewable Energy saying it would violate state law.
The Counsel for the Public wants answers as to why Hydro-Quebec now says it won’t pay for the controversial 192-mile transmission line from Pittsburg to Deerfield when Northern Pass’ application said that Hydro-Quebec would pay.
UPDATE: After this story was posted on Wednesday, there was some disagreement over whether SB 128 could in fact allow Northern Pass to pass on construction costs to consumers. InDepthNH.org is updating to make sure all of the parties have the opportunity to further explain their positions.