FYI: Northern Pass High Voltage Transmission Project

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U.S. Forest Service - White Mountain National Forest
USDA Forest Service Issues Final Decision to Permit the Northern Pass Transmission Line

January 5, 2018 Today the USDA Forest Service issued a final record of decision to authorize the use and occupancy of National Forest System lands by Northern Pass Transmission, LLC (Northern Pass) to construct, operate, and maintain an electrical power transmission line crossing portions of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) in Grafton County, New Hampshire.

Analyzed in the Northern Pass Transmission Line Project Environmental Impact Statement, the final decision authorizes construction of the powerline across the WMNF. The powerline will be buried within the roadway and shoulder areas along NH Routes 112 and 116.

The White Mountain National Forest will work with the Northern Pass to issue the necessary special use authorizations with appropriate mitigations to allow the installation, operation, and maintenance of the project on National Forest System lands.

This decision only approves this project on NFS lands while the decision to approve the remaining portions of the project on state and private lands is the responsibility of the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee. The decision to cross the international border rests with the Assistant Secretary of Energy.

More information on the Forest Service record of decision can be viewed at https://www.northernpasseis.us/

Record of Decision at http://media.northernpasseis.us/attachments-deis/NorthernPassEIS_WMNF_ROD_2018_secured.pdf
 
It sure beats the original proposal to cut across the National Forest with towers and overhead lines.
 
I don't think anyone will ever know objectively. NP was intended to be a quick and dirty project to get a transmission line in quickly. Eversource represented that they could leverage rate payer owned assets to build on existing right of ways quickly and that they had the political clout to bulldoze any opposition. If not for the their inadvertent mistake of pissing off well off landowners and the SPNHF in the Bethlehem Franconia and Easton area there really wasnt any formal opposition that could coalesce quickly enough to stop it. Folks like Jim Dannis (father of Larisa Dannis who used to post on VFFT), realized they needed to move quickly and connected up with the AMC and SPNHF and someone brilliantly came up with the concept of "saving the north country" as there was no existing right of way in far northern NH. Using that approach they also got political support to prevent access to eminent domain for the project and that delayed locking in a right of way for quite awhile and ultimately made the line longer due to its emandering path. Several national environmental organizations lined up with the coalition and despite previous claims to the contrary ended up realizing the project was dead unless they buried the line thru the WMNF and the towns where influential landowners were abundant. The claim is 250 million spent to date but I dont think there is way of establishing the value of the ongoing delay and loss of credibility. Eversource has sold their major generating assets in the state (subsidized by ratepayers) and effectively if going to be far smaller but still significant company in the state. The local management staff know this and realize that in the end even if NP is built, many folks will not be ending their career in NH. The CEO of Eversource and his lieutenants all have bet the careers on NP and it questionable they would survive if ts not approved.
 
An update on the current state of things https://manchesterinklink.com/d-day-approaches-for-northern-pass/

The legal briefs by the opposing sides that I have read make for some interesting reading. I expect there will be appeals filed whatever the SEC decides and then it goes into the judiciary. The state supreme court has already had opportunities to impact the project but generally has been holding back from making rulings that would stop the process. I expect they realize its all going to end in their lap eventually so might as well let it run its course through the SEC. Unlike the legislature and the governor, Eversource's open checkbook probably has had a lot less influence on the courts. I do not see how the court can go through an appeal quickly although I expect Eversource is going to do what they can to force a decision as the project quickly as looses a lot of relevance if its delayed to the point where the Mass clean power RFQ passes them by.

CMP and NGRID have both ramped up activity on their alternative plans that have far less public opposition (although I expect Friends of the Maine Mountains will crop up one of these days to oppose the CMP project).

One possible outcome is that Eversource's management may be looking for serious cover if the project fails, 250 million spent to date is something the shareholders will probably be very unhappy about. Having a court rule against it is as good cover as they can get.

I wonder if there is gong to have to be special legislation to support the legions of unemployed lawyers and legal staff on both sides of the project ;). I expect its been a prime source of revenue for 4 or 5 years.
 
While the SEC deliberations in NH are starting, the Conservation Law Foundation is taking the lead to convince the governor of Mass and the Clean Power RFP group that NP is not a good one to bet on. http://indepthnh.org/2018/01/21/con...-baker-disqualify-northern-pass-mass-rfp-bid/ Interestingly Eversource is one of the parties to the Mass RFP review. The claim is there is "firewall" between the part of the company that is participating in the ranking of the RFP and the part of the company that is desperate to get the project approved as part of the RFP. Must be a pretty darn good firewall :rolleyes:

Meanwhile Governor LePage in Maine is issued an order shutting down all new Wind Power applications in the state. There are several projects in the Mass Clean Power RFP that depend on permitting and installing several large new wind farms. http://bangordailynews.com/2018/01/24/news/state/lepage-blocks-new-maine-wind-energy-permits/. One of the competing transmission lines to NP that would carry Canadian hydro happens to run through Western Maine. I believe he supports that particular project.

And to further make things interesting ISO New England is weighing in on the need for more natural gas lines and transmission lines from Canada to access hydro power http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/01/iso_new_england_natural_gas_pi.html

Anyone of these gambits involve potentially billions in upfront costs and a virtual guarantee on profits. All the big players are figuring out where on the chess board they want to be so in the end they get their cut.
 
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Sure looks like the deliberative sessions for NP are going to be a rubber stamp for NP. Day 2 and things are definitely not going NPs way. I find this source is the most reliable for info http://indepthnh.org/

Maybe its just theatre for the masses but it sure sounds like many conditions are going to be attached to any approval
 
SEC deliberations Day 3

"The seven Site Evaluation [Sub?]Committee members said Thursday they do not believe Northern Pass developers have met their burden of proof ..."


https://manchesterinklink.com/break...t-met-burden-of-proof-on-orderly-development/

http://indepthnh.org/2018/02/01/bre...t-met-burden-of-proof-on-orderly-development/

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20180201/NEWS05/180209909



Day 2

http://indepthnh.org/2018/01/31/reg...thern-pass-experts-in-day-2-of-deliberations/

http://www.unionleader.com/energy/Tourism-experts-on-the-hot-seat-at-Northern-Pass-hearing-01312018

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20180131/NEWS02/180139780/0/SEARCH



Day 1

http://indepthnh.org/2018/01/30/reg...rojects-loose-ends-on-day-1-of-deliberations/

http://www.unionleader.com/energy/State-committee-starts-deliberations-on-Northern-Pass-01302018
 
Wow ! 250 million plus down the hole.

There is going to be whole lot of very overpriced real estate including a few homes in play in Northern NH. I am curious how Eversource will dispose of it given the very significant premium they paid? At one point they were going to hand it off to the Great North Woods ATV group. The other shoe to drop is the impact on the Balsams project as it reportedly were very dependent on Eversource dollars to fund a portion of it.

The spin will be interesting, the CEO of Eversource has been unwavering in his support of the project, will he throw good money after bad and waste the money on an appeal of the current project, make a radical alteration to the plan (I.E. Full burial) or just give up.?

With the Mass RFP in their pocket (for now) will they come back with full burial proposal?. I think the CMP western Maine transmission line, the underwater Lake Champlain line or the NGrid proposal to build an additional HVDC line alongside the current HVDC line suddenly look like winners.

Thanks to Waumbek for starting this thread back in 2010. It may not be the record for longest VFTT thread but it must be up there.
 
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From this quote I would say the income for those in the legal profession will continue to be good in 2018:

Martin Murray, spokesman for Northern Pass said: “We are shocked and outraged by today’s SEC outcome. The process failed to comply with New Hampshire law and did not reflect the substantial evidence on the record. As a result, the most viable near-term solution to the region’s energy challenges, as well as $3 billion of NH job, tax, and other benefits, are now in jeopardy.

“Clearly, the SEC process is broken and this decision sends a chilling message to any energy project contemplating development in the Granite State. We will be seeking reconsideration of the SEC’s decision, as well as reviewing all options for moving this critical clean energy project forward.” [Indepthnh]
 
Thanks for the smile today. I appreciate all the updates in this thread.
 
So good to hear.. My cousin live in the Smoky's and I saw the same line there running thru the area that trashed the view .... let them bury it like many of the millions of miles of gas lines around the USA.
 
Northern Pass wins hands-down on replies and trails only slight in views

Northern Pass
Replies: 549
Views: 150,354

WMNF Road Conditions
Replies: 280
Views: 150,810

The $25,000 fine thread is second on replies (413 replies)
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Search and Rescue Funding Hearing is third (366 replies)

BTW, You can pick a forum and sort it by any of the column headings to figure this out for yourself/

Tim
 
Saw this in today's paper [URL="http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2018/02/01/northern-pass-developer-shocked-and-outraged-rejection/RDbKgUQwNXZqFm1W69y3lM/story.html?p1=Article_Recommended_ReadMore_Pos5]
 
Vermonster said:
Martin Murray, spokesman for Northern Pass said: “We are shocked and outraged by today’s SEC outcome. The process failed to comply with New Hampshire law and did not reflect the substantial evidence on the record. As a result, the most viable near-term solution to the region’s energy challenges, as well as $3 billion of NH job, tax, and other benefits, are now in jeopardy.
“Clearly, the SEC process is broken and this decision sends a chilling message to any energy project contemplating development in the Granite State. We will be seeking reconsideration of the SEC’s decision, as well as reviewing all options for moving this critical clean energy project forward.” [Indepthnh]
Click to expand...

I am used to statements that contend the decision by a Government panel, or by the Judiciary, was an incorrect interpretation of the "substantial evidence on the record", but this statement suggests the process wasn't followed. I am interested to learn the basis for that opinion.

This reminds me a bit of some of our reactions to the USFS decision to remove the Suspension Bridge over the East Branch.

I read that decision memo and was disappointed Molly prioritized Wilderness over Access. But I also felt she had the clearly shown exactly how she had reached that conclusion and also demonstrated the decision process had been properly followed. IMO the White Mountain Forest Plan was when that battle for the Suspension Bridge and many backcountry shelters in the Whites was lost.
 
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