Hammerdee
Member
My committee in the House retained SB128, the bill that you refer to. It is dead until next January at the earliest, and the SEC will decides NP's fate long before then.
FYI: Northern Pass High Voltage Transmission Project
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My committee in the House retained SB128, the bill that you refer to. It is dead until next January at the earliest, and the SEC will decides NP's fate long before then.
peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
Yale University getting flack for land managment of the Bayroot properties
A locally known "secret" that really hasn't gotten a lot of publicity is the Bayroot ownership of a large block of forest land in Northern NH and Western Maine. This holding was purchased from Mead corporation when Mead was cashing out the Rumford mills. The land consists of the former Oxford Paper lands located around the Rumford mill and much of the former Maine Brown Company Timberlands that were cashed out at one point by James River to Mead. When Mead sold the lands it was to a mysterious entity called Bayroot which then handed management over to Wagner woodlands.
SPNHF had successfully blocked NP until Bayroot stepped up and offered a right of way through their large timber holding. Reportedly Bayroot extracted an agreement from NP that will allow the construction of another large wind farm larger than the Granite Wind project in Millsfield and Dummer NH north of Dixville notch in return for the right of way.
Given the size of the land holding and the potential for development of high value properties, the conservation community ran into a road block soon after the original sale that the Bayroot ownership was effectively hidden behind a series of holding companies and the actual owners could not be determined. Soon after the switch over to management by Wagner, high value properties formerly associated with the timber ownership started getting transferred to new owners, some public some private. The sales generally were not publicized and were always direct sales. There was also a major uptick in wood harvesting. The forestry community is fairly small and the individuals involved with it are somewhat mobile and talk to each other. Fairly early in the process it was established that the new owners had set an unsustainable rate of return on the timberlands. Generally when this happens the woods are managed aggressively (cut aggressively) for return and then high value properties are sold to make up the difference in rate of return. Conservation groups have to tread pretty carefully as they have their own shopping list of conservation lands and since these were unadvertised private sales they do not want to get blacklisted from sales. This is a pretty standard practice for commercial developers. Eventually after a few years it was established that the actual owner was the Yale University retirement fund, apparently the Yale fund had previously owned timberland openly and had problems where the Yale retirement funds management practices of the lands didn't line up with Yale School of Forestry recommendations. The Bayroot purchase appears to have been the solution for Yale retirement fund to get an unsustainable rate of return on properties without adverse publicity and the NP deal is just another step in that direction.
As the years go on the veil is slowly dropping
http://www.nhregister.com/general-ne...n-pass-project
A locally known "secret" that really hasn't gotten a lot of publicity is the Bayroot ownership of a large block of forest land in Northern NH and Western Maine. This holding was purchased from Mead corporation when Mead was cashing out the Rumford mills. The land consists of the former Oxford Paper lands located around the Rumford mill and much of the former Maine Brown Company Timberlands that were cashed out at one point by James River to Mead. When Mead sold the lands it was to a mysterious entity called Bayroot which then handed management over to Wagner woodlands.
SPNHF had successfully blocked NP until Bayroot stepped up and offered a right of way through their large timber holding. Reportedly Bayroot extracted an agreement from NP that will allow the construction of another large wind farm larger than the Granite Wind project in Millsfield and Dummer NH north of Dixville notch in return for the right of way.
Given the size of the land holding and the potential for development of high value properties, the conservation community ran into a road block soon after the original sale that the Bayroot ownership was effectively hidden behind a series of holding companies and the actual owners could not be determined. Soon after the switch over to management by Wagner, high value properties formerly associated with the timber ownership started getting transferred to new owners, some public some private. The sales generally were not publicized and were always direct sales. There was also a major uptick in wood harvesting. The forestry community is fairly small and the individuals involved with it are somewhat mobile and talk to each other. Fairly early in the process it was established that the new owners had set an unsustainable rate of return on the timberlands. Generally when this happens the woods are managed aggressively (cut aggressively) for return and then high value properties are sold to make up the difference in rate of return. Conservation groups have to tread pretty carefully as they have their own shopping list of conservation lands and since these were unadvertised private sales they do not want to get blacklisted from sales. This is a pretty standard practice for commercial developers. Eventually after a few years it was established that the actual owner was the Yale University retirement fund, apparently the Yale fund had previously owned timberland openly and had problems where the Yale retirement funds management practices of the lands didn't line up with Yale School of Forestry recommendations. The Bayroot purchase appears to have been the solution for Yale retirement fund to get an unsustainable rate of return on properties without adverse publicity and the NP deal is just another step in that direction.
As the years go on the veil is slowly dropping
http://www.nhregister.com/general-ne...n-pass-project
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Vermonster
Member
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Link seems to have gone dead. Try this one or going to indepthNH.org and looking for the article there: http://www.nhregister.com/general-n...hire-over-northern-pass-project#disqus_thread
For those that are wondering the relevance to hiking:
Rice and Cave are both directly affected by NP.
Based on test tower locations it is likely additional 3K's Tucker West, Blue Ridge, and Crystal North would be directly impacted by the proposed wind development. Crystal NW and Pisgah would also have very clear visual impact.
For those that are wondering the relevance to hiking:
Rice and Cave are both directly affected by NP.
Based on test tower locations it is likely additional 3K's Tucker West, Blue Ridge, and Crystal North would be directly impacted by the proposed wind development. Crystal NW and Pisgah would also have very clear visual impact.
I noticed the NH dateline on this AP article in my local paper and sure enough, down around paragraph 8 they mention Eversource as one of the sponsors of the study.
I bet you did not know that powerlines are good for birds.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BANDING_BIRDS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
I bet you did not know that powerlines are good for birds.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BANDING_BIRDS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
I am surprised that the tax impact really hasn't gotten a lot of publicity to date. Of course I expect that those whose properties are impacted by the project will file abatement requests for diminished property value so the net gain may be less than stated. A local realtor, Peter Powell has previously stated that the proposed NP has effectively shut down many real estate transactions and dropped selling prices.
http://www.unionleader.com/energy/Northern-Pass-predicts-financial-windfall-for-towns-05282017
Unfortunately PSNH *Eversource" and other utilities have been somewhat infamous for challenging tax valuations on other right of ways in the state. There is a claim that NP will put in some sort of no appeal agreement but many of the towns have been burned in the past.
http://www.unionleader.com/energy/Northern-Pass-predicts-financial-windfall-for-towns-05282017
Unfortunately PSNH *Eversource" and other utilities have been somewhat infamous for challenging tax valuations on other right of ways in the state. There is a claim that NP will put in some sort of no appeal agreement but many of the towns have been burned in the past.
ChrisB
Well-known member
Eversource Jumps Into Water
QUESTION" Why in the world would Eversource want to get into the drinking water business? Especially given the challenges they face wrt NP?
This article describes their recent purchase of Aquarion, a water company active in southern NH, for $1.6B. (That's billion with a "B.")
Inquiring minds want to know!!!
cb
QUESTION" Why in the world would Eversource want to get into the drinking water business? Especially given the challenges they face wrt NP?
This article describes their recent purchase of Aquarion, a water company active in southern NH, for $1.6B. (That's billion with a "B.")
Inquiring minds want to know!!!
cb
peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
I see some synergies between the two, both are regulated monopolies, both require customer service and billing interfacing with customers. Most of southern NH is chronically short of long term water sources and at some point may require bringing in water from farther north in the state and Eversource happens to own several right of ways that could easily hold pipelines. Unlike electricity, there really isn't a competitive supply option, if you need water you have to buy it from the local utility. Enron was pushing hard into water utilities for the same reasons and private water companies will generally snap up any public water system they can get a hold onto as it pretty well guaranteed rate of return (all the things that electricity used to be).
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ChrisB
Well-known member
Interesting theory Peakbagger.
When Aquarion bought the public water systems a while back there was much speculation that they were really after the wells. Their parent company needed access to water they could essentially export out of the area to be bottled and sold. Actually running a municipal system was a necessary nuisance.
Not sure how much of these system's water stays local at this point.
cb
peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
http://indepthnh.org/2017/06/08/cou...l-experts-perspective-unnaturally-optimistic/
Good luck trying to figure out how SEC hearings are going unless you are someone that was allowed to sign confidentiality agreements.
Good luck trying to figure out how SEC hearings are going unless you are someone that was allowed to sign confidentiality agreements.
ChrisB
Well-known member
Yale Punts at the Goal Line
This the latest from the Yale News website...
Pointing to the July 1, 2017 expiration of the initial term of lease, petitioners sought the termination of the lease and prevention of its renewal.
The petitioners fail to recognize several important facts. First, institutional investors such as Yale typically invest with managers through partnership arrangements that limit the investors’ ability to control decisions from both a legal and best practices perspective. Second, Wagner Forest Management did not have the ability to terminate the option to renew under the terms of the lease. Third, as a matter of public record and as reported in the press, the developer of the project has exercised its option to renew the lease and the term has been extended to 2110.
They once said roughly the same thing about their investments in South Africa.
Ironic how a bastion of Movers and Shakers becomes so helpless in the face of a new controversy.
cb
This the latest from the Yale News website...
Pointing to the July 1, 2017 expiration of the initial term of lease, petitioners sought the termination of the lease and prevention of its renewal.
The petitioners fail to recognize several important facts. First, institutional investors such as Yale typically invest with managers through partnership arrangements that limit the investors’ ability to control decisions from both a legal and best practices perspective. Second, Wagner Forest Management did not have the ability to terminate the option to renew under the terms of the lease. Third, as a matter of public record and as reported in the press, the developer of the project has exercised its option to renew the lease and the term has been extended to 2110.
They once said roughly the same thing about their investments in South Africa.
Ironic how a bastion of Movers and Shakers becomes so helpless in the face of a new controversy.
cb
Raven
Well-known member
I've seen an orange "Stop Northern Pass" truck and volunteers a few times at Appalachia recently. Just driving by so did not stop and say hi but they are active.
peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
Included in NP are some "upgrades to the Coos loop" that have not been identified but are estimated at $200 million. The Coos loop runs east to west just south of RT2 (they are the lines you cross just after crossing the railroad track). There already was a minor upgrade to these lines near Appalachia two years ago (replaced poles with taller ones and raised the lines in a few spots). This is an older section of the Coos loop and those unidentified upgrades could entail raising these lines and replacing them so local hikers (and Raven) could get a taste of what the folks along the NP route will have to put up with. Unlike NP Eversource doesn't need a SEC permit to do this.
An opinion from a local. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=26511Wn-xjU&feature=youtu.be
peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
Do note that this is a Northern Pass video so its not necessarily unbiased
Absolutely agree. That is why it is important to show other biases other than the ones already presented in this thread in order that a balanced discussion can be had. Personally I can agree with a lot of the biases that have been said or alluded to. It's finding the balance of those biases that may actually conclude this situation in a way that works.
peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
Making the obvious official
http://www.unionleader.com/energy/Northern-Pass-in-service-date-pushed-back-20170728
http://www.unionleader.com/energy/Northern-Pass-in-service-date-pushed-back-20170728
egilbe
Member
It will make a nice ce ATV trail.
peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
Hot off the press, the NH SEC has delayed a decision on Northern Pass six months until March 2018 (it was Sept 2017). https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...lators-extend-northern-pass-decision-deadline
This is pretty significant as the Mass renewable RFP suppliers will most likely be locked in by then. NPs fate is not directly tied to it but would be a major boost.
It will be interesting to see the spin from both sides. I also will be interested on the recently announced Balsams start of construction by this fall.
This is pretty significant as the Mass renewable RFP suppliers will most likely be locked in by then. NPs fate is not directly tied to it but would be a major boost.
It will be interesting to see the spin from both sides. I also will be interested on the recently announced Balsams start of construction by this fall.
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