An article on how Eversource is encouraging support in Concord http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/...dresses-council-subcommittee-on-northern-pass
FYI: Northern Pass High Voltage Transmission Project
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...and an announcement of their first "early action grants".
They appear to have linked up with the National Fish and Wildlife Federation to create a jointly funded entity (Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife) that will stretch their dollars.
Eversource and NFWF Announce New Conservation Partnership
LONDONDERRY, N.H., MARCH 26, 2015 – Eversource and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced a new conservation program, Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife, dedicated to restoring and sustaining healthy forests and rivers in New Hampshire.
Eversource, through its subsidiary Northern Pass Transmission LLC, has committed $3 million over the next two years (2015-2016) to this new partnership. NFWF and its funding partners are committing an additional $1.5 million over that period of time, boosting the total conservation impact to at least $4.5 million.
More here:
http://www.nfwf.org/whoweare/mediacenter/pr/Pages/newhampshire-pr-150326.aspx#.VRRbL1VViko
They appear to have linked up with the National Fish and Wildlife Federation to create a jointly funded entity (Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife) that will stretch their dollars.
Eversource and NFWF Announce New Conservation Partnership
LONDONDERRY, N.H., MARCH 26, 2015 – Eversource and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced a new conservation program, Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife, dedicated to restoring and sustaining healthy forests and rivers in New Hampshire.
Eversource, through its subsidiary Northern Pass Transmission LLC, has committed $3 million over the next two years (2015-2016) to this new partnership. NFWF and its funding partners are committing an additional $1.5 million over that period of time, boosting the total conservation impact to at least $4.5 million.
More here:
http://www.nfwf.org/whoweare/mediacenter/pr/Pages/newhampshire-pr-150326.aspx#.VRRbL1VViko
Hmm, during a previous effort PSNH offered to support local businesses with grants and loans in Northern NH. Of course no funding was available until after the NP project was approved. I would be curious to see what strings are attached this time. Looks like the Silvio Conte refuge will be expanding. I wonder if donations in kind of overpriced parcels of proposed right of way that NP bought will count towards the contribution?
The plot thickens
https://www.forestsociety.org/news-...ass-filing-smaller-capacity-transmission-line
Interesting developments on the ISO filings. The Coos County interconnect is most likely part of the goal to integrate the project into the states power grid to allow it to gain eminent domain. The current NP project is denied eminent domain access as its is not a public benefit as the power is essentially just passed from the border to Franklin NH and exported out of state. It also may be a wedge to get the WMNF special use permit modified. Currently the WMNF special use permit that allows use of FS land for the transmission lines is oriented as needed to keep the north country of NH connected to the grid. The reality is that the north country has been and is increasingly a net power producer to the point that the current transmission system is substantially undersized leading to the power producers in the area being limited on how much power they can send south. There is larger wind farm than the Millsfield wind farm waiting in the wings North of Dixville Notch for the power system to be expanded. In theory the current special use permit could cover this upgrade as an independent project although I expect it would be contested as the only need for an expansion is for exporting power. If NP combines the Coos Grid upgrade with its project it in theory turns the hybrid NP into far more politically powerful project as it gets a lot more economic interests on their side. If they do switch to a buried line I expect it will get built.
https://www.forestsociety.org/news-...ass-filing-smaller-capacity-transmission-line
Interesting developments on the ISO filings. The Coos County interconnect is most likely part of the goal to integrate the project into the states power grid to allow it to gain eminent domain. The current NP project is denied eminent domain access as its is not a public benefit as the power is essentially just passed from the border to Franklin NH and exported out of state. It also may be a wedge to get the WMNF special use permit modified. Currently the WMNF special use permit that allows use of FS land for the transmission lines is oriented as needed to keep the north country of NH connected to the grid. The reality is that the north country has been and is increasingly a net power producer to the point that the current transmission system is substantially undersized leading to the power producers in the area being limited on how much power they can send south. There is larger wind farm than the Millsfield wind farm waiting in the wings North of Dixville Notch for the power system to be expanded. In theory the current special use permit could cover this upgrade as an independent project although I expect it would be contested as the only need for an expansion is for exporting power. If NP combines the Coos Grid upgrade with its project it in theory turns the hybrid NP into far more politically powerful project as it gets a lot more economic interests on their side. If they do switch to a buried line I expect it will get built.
I don't know, the article seems to imply that the reason for the swap is burial but I am not aware of what the current commercial and technical limits are for HVDC cables. I don't see NP offering to bury it in its entirety, I expect that there may be some politically sensitive locations where they will be forced into it like the WMNF but expect much of it will be above ground.
I expect the folks in Woodstock would raise heck but routing the major WMNF crossing south and burying it in the side of the highway through Kinsman Notch would be a far preferable alternative than expanding the current right of way south of South Kinsman.
I expect the folks in Woodstock would raise heck but routing the major WMNF crossing south and burying it in the side of the highway through Kinsman Notch would be a far preferable alternative than expanding the current right of way south of South Kinsman.
Raven
Well-known member
https://www.forestsociety.org/press-release/forest-society-april-fools-day
It's just getting worse folks.
It's just getting worse folks.
gram
Member
OK, Raven, I admit it, I got roped in!
Pretty funny.
Pretty funny.
By the way. A recent article confirmed that NP is a contributor to the expansion of cell coverage in Northern NH.
Thought this might interest some...
https://www.youtube.com/embed/46aahmnllHk
https://www.youtube.com/embed/46aahmnllHk
A disagreement between conservation organizations
https://www.forestsociety.org/news-...f-defend-conserved-land-against-northern-pass
The background on the grant
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150326/NEWS05/150329335/1028/news05
Of course as usual the North Country politicians work for peanuts
http://nhpr.org/post/northern-pass-funds-available-coos-businesses
But wall street is not so confident
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150423/NEWS05/150429595
https://www.forestsociety.org/news-...f-defend-conserved-land-against-northern-pass
The background on the grant
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150326/NEWS05/150329335/1028/news05
Of course as usual the North Country politicians work for peanuts
http://nhpr.org/post/northern-pass-funds-available-coos-businesses
But wall street is not so confident
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150423/NEWS05/150429595
Some more detail on the disagreement between what should be allies
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150426/NEWS05/150429360
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150426/NEWS05/150429360
The activity on NP is ramping up.
The most interesting link which is more speculation than new news is this NHPR report http://nhpr.org/post/looking-possibility-having-make-changes-northern-pass-has-option
The state congressional delegation asked DOE for a minimum 90 day hearing schedule with 90 days for comments. It was rejected by DOE and the process is still 60 days. I expect that the volumes of documents are going to preclude many from even going through them. The delegation has pushed back to DOE.
I expect the gas line and power lines projects in southern NH are starting to dilute resources of the organizations that are trying to oppose the projects, unlike the companies proposing the projects, the various non profits don't have as "fat" bank accounts as the developers.
The most interesting link which is more speculation than new news is this NHPR report http://nhpr.org/post/looking-possibility-having-make-changes-northern-pass-has-option
The state congressional delegation asked DOE for a minimum 90 day hearing schedule with 90 days for comments. It was rejected by DOE and the process is still 60 days. I expect that the volumes of documents are going to preclude many from even going through them. The delegation has pushed back to DOE.
I expect the gas line and power lines projects in southern NH are starting to dilute resources of the organizations that are trying to oppose the projects, unlike the companies proposing the projects, the various non profits don't have as "fat" bank accounts as the developers.
hiking lady
Member
Wow, windmills, pipes and power lines, where does it stop? If All these projects go through things are going to look alot more cluttered 
I expect the AMC guests at Madison Hut and hikers in general in the Northern Presidentials will get a shock when the Jericho Wind project goes in this year. Its the closest industrial windmills so far to the whites
Wow, windmills, pipes and power lines, where does it stop? If All these projects go through things are going to look alot more cluttered
And roads and houses and farms, which somehow get a free 'pass'.
hiking lady
Member
And don't forget people, people and more peopleAnd roads and houses and farms, which somehow get a free 'pass'.
There are actually some attempts to managing the viewshed of the WMNF but given the private inholdings in the WMNF its hard to manage especially when the Jericho Wind project was permitted locally. The town of Randolph luckily had the opportunity 15 years ago to buy the old Brown Company holdings (last owned by John Hancock timber) outside the WMNF declaration boundary on the south slopes of the Crescent Range. The land was turned into a town forest that in conjunction with the Gorham Town forest (which is partially in Randolph) has protected the Mt Crescent Range from being developed as a wind farm. Shelburne NH also has restrictive zoning on the south slope of the Mahoosucs that limits development over a certain elevation. The Jericho wind farm was also a former Brown company holding that was parceled long before the Randolph deal went through. Jericho is a poor place for a wind farm but great for tax right off as they didn't have to go through extensive state permitting.
Generally dispersed development like that in Franconia and Silver Hill has a far less impact on the view shed than transmission corridors that tend to be a gash composed of various long straight right of ways.
Generally dispersed development like that in Franconia and Silver Hill has a far less impact on the view shed than transmission corridors that tend to be a gash composed of various long straight right of ways.
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This from The Monitor yesterday:
http://mobile.concordmonitor.com/home/17079571-108/my-turn-want-your-say-on-northern-pass-speak-now
http://mobile.concordmonitor.com/home/17079571-108/my-turn-want-your-say-on-northern-pass-speak-now
This ESI is going to make it hard for Eversource to stick with aboveground http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150604/NEWS05/150609561
New controversy over access to historical impact document.
http://nhpr.org/post/northern-pass-historical-impact-dispute-over-transparency
Unfortunately, the FERC regs do not allow historical impacts to stop a project. They need to be documented and if possible taken into account but ultimately it the project is going to make significant impact and there is no way to mitigate it, all they have to do is document what was there and bring in the bull dozers.
Northern Pass has signed a labor agreement
https://www.facebook.com/thenorthernpass/posts/10152416848570701
I have been unable to find much more on this but a job labor agreement with unions is not very helpful in a predominately non union state. There have been federal projects delayed in NH recently due to the lack of any viable union contractors. The Berlin Biopower project ended up having to recruit union trades from as far as Ohio as there was not adequate union labor in the region. I expect that Eversource knows this but it allows them to try to buy some badly needed PR.
http://nhpr.org/post/northern-pass-historical-impact-dispute-over-transparency
Unfortunately, the FERC regs do not allow historical impacts to stop a project. They need to be documented and if possible taken into account but ultimately it the project is going to make significant impact and there is no way to mitigate it, all they have to do is document what was there and bring in the bull dozers.
Northern Pass has signed a labor agreement
https://www.facebook.com/thenorthernpass/posts/10152416848570701
I have been unable to find much more on this but a job labor agreement with unions is not very helpful in a predominately non union state. There have been federal projects delayed in NH recently due to the lack of any viable union contractors. The Berlin Biopower project ended up having to recruit union trades from as far as Ohio as there was not adequate union labor in the region. I expect that Eversource knows this but it allows them to try to buy some badly needed PR.
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