FYI: Northern Pass High Voltage Transmission Project

[Stan]

Where was the AMC's visual impact study when this went through?

I don't know about this project but I was impressed with a study that AMC did in connection with the wind towers proposed on Redington in Maine. I think it showed that there were some 200 miles of "suitable" (my choice of word) ridgeline in Maine where such facilities could be built with minimal environmental and other important impacts. Redington was not one of the suitable sites.

You could take such a model of evaluating sites and create and weigh whatever parameters you choose, that is the crux of the challenge, to evaluate such facilities anywhere, on land or water, but Nooooooo, instead much seems to get done on an ad hoc political basis, leaving the public feeling empty and politicians' warchests well fed.

Sorry about the rant but I was really impressed with that AMC approach and its intelligent conclusions and positive recommendations and wish there were more such objectivity in siting and zoning decisions.

 

[TDawg]

Where was the AMC's visual impact study when this went through?

- 24 mountaintop towers are being built, reaching about 400 feet at their highest point. Dramatically taller than the Northern Pass towers, and due to being mountain top in nature, visible from miles away.

Ahh, I was wondering when the Groton project would make it's way to the VFTT board.

Even locally around the Plymouth area, it seemed to have slipped beneath the radar with all the Northern Pass uproar. I had been watching it's developments for months online, nobody was talking about it until the first tower was erected. Groton, I'm sure is happy with added tax revenue and they can't really see them from their corner of the hills. Rumney and Plymouth on the other hand, got the eyesore.

I have yet to climb Stinson, Rattlesnake, or Crosby Mtn since the wind towers, but it goes without saying the view has changed. Especially from Crosby Mountain/Bald Knob I assume, where you'll only be about a half mile from the windfarm as the crow flies and the towers will dominate Crosby's main view to the north.

Power for MA, money sent abroad (Spanish Company.) Hmmm, sound familiar? As far as I can tell, only real winners in NH are the folks in Groton who will get their roads paved.

Things that helped the Groton Wind Farm, IMHO:
1) Sub 3000 foot ridgeline
2) Not in close proximity to the AT
3) Not in close proximity to a NH4k
4) Northern Pass taking heat off the project

 

[Trail Bandit]

The view from above

I went to a fly in at Plymouth Airport on Tuesday. When I called for a briefing (You pretty much need to call THE MAN before you go these days because there can be a temporary no fly zone anywhere due to politicians, etc.) I was surprised to have the briefer ask if I needed to know the height of the new windmills. Since it was a nice clear day I didn't need the info. As I approached the airport, the new windmills were very visible. They are a large obstruction that pilots will want to be aware of especially when it is less than perfect visibility. The windmills will clearly be very visible from the whole area for a long time.

 

[Tom_Murphy]

Where was the AMC's visual impact study when this went through?

Are you suggesting that the AMC should be doing visual impact studies for any proposed wind power project in New England?

I think the Northern Pass meeets a higher criteria since that project seeks to expand an existing right of way that traverses part of the WMNF and the AT.

 

[rocket21]

Are you suggesting that the AMC should be doing visual impact studies for any proposed wind power project in New England?

I think the Northern Pass meeets a higher criteria since that project seeks to expand an existing right of way that traverses part of the WMNF and the AT.

If I recall correctly, the AMC produced video I saw seemed to be mostly concerned with the visual impact of it from the WMNF (interesting enough, the slide show seemed to show photos of places that weren't near Northern Pass, but now have views of various wind farms).

Rattlesnake Mountain and Stinson Mountain are both located in the WMNF with vistas dominated by the new Groton Wind Farm. That said, there aren't any AMC huts near those peaks, so...

 

[Tom_Murphy]

If I recall correctly, the AMC produced video I saw seemed to be mostly concerned with the visual impact of it from the WMNF (interesting enough, the slide show seemed to show photos of places that weren't near Northern Pass, but now have views of various wind farms).

Rattlesnake Mountain and Stinson Mountain are both located in the WMNF with vistas dominated by the new Groton Wind Farm. That said, there aren't any AMC huts near those peaks, so...

So the criteria should be any ridge that can be viewed from any place in the WMNF?

You seem to be implying that the AMC conducted this study only because a hut is in the general vicinity. What is the basis for that?

I am very happy the AMC identified a gap in the evaluation of the impact of the Northern Pass and used its resources to address it. That is a good thing.

 

[peakbagger]

Many outdoor organizations have put policies in place to balance the competing goal of encouraging "clean renewable power" with the goal of minimizing development of undeveloped regions of the area. These groups initially had to be reactive without a policy in place to any new projects and generally after much internal discussion of each groups most groups have established criteria on when and when not to fight a wind project. From a rational basis, the cost to oppose a project is significant, Larry Garland and his associates do not work for free. Opposing every wind project would require a very large drain in resources from any group.

I do not know if AMC or any other groups felt that the threshold of of the Stinson Mtn project met their criteria for expending resources to oppose. Practically they may have made the decision that the resources spent opposing Stinson Mtn would detract from their effort on northern pass.

In the case of the GRP project in Millsfield, they and other groups were at the "table" during permitting but in reality they appeared to be primarlly trying to get concessions to minimize the impact. In that case, I expect the decision was that the benefits of a wind farm in a remote area that has been industrially forested for well over a 100 years, outweighed the visual and wildlife impact to the Millsfield area. the Due to the scope of the Northern Pass, there doesnt appear to be any rational way of minimizing the impact barring the underground cable along existing right of ways option which has been rejected by northern pass. That and its close proximity in and adjacent to the WMNF an area with significant AMC operations and presence has led AMC to decide to oppose the project as currently scoped.

 

[rocket21]

So the criteria should be any ridge that can be viewed from any place in the WMNF?

You seem to be implying that the AMC conducted this study only because a hut is in the general vicinity. What is the basis for that?

I am very happy the AMC identified a gap in the evaluation of the impact of the Northern Pass and used its resources to address it. That is a good thing.

Just calling it out for what it is. They're dumping tons of money into opposing Northern Pass, presumably due to visual impact, while giving wind farms within the same criteria a complete pass. The massive concrete footings alone will assure that these mountaintops will be impacted for centuries to come.

 

[Tom_Murphy]

Just calling it out for what it is. They're dumping tons of money into opposing Northern Pass, presumably due to visual impact, while giving wind farms within the same criteria a complete pass. The massive concrete footings alone will assure that these mountaintops will be impacted for centuries to come.

I appreciate your replies.

The fact that the AMC has used its resources to document the visual impact of the Northern Pass does not mean that visual impact is the only criteria they use to decide whether to actively oppose a project.

As peakbagger states, the AMC has a limited budget. They have to choose which projects to focus that budget on. The Northern Pass met their criteria and the wind farm didn't.

As I posted previously, the fact that the Northern Pass would expand on an existing right of way in the WMNF is a compelling reason to focus on it and certainly differentiates it from the wind farm.

 

[Raven]

Another factor to keep in mind here is that the Northen Pass would represent a 180 mile gash though the entire state of NH, from border to border. Even with the wind towers in Groton being substantially taller than the proposed electrical towers, the scope of the Northern Pass is in a different league altogether. This project would affect far more than the WMNF and will impact (both visually and otherwise) multiple NH state parks and scenic areas that many people are not talking about.

My suspicion is the Northen Pass has had us all focused on 140 foot towers and the "untouchable" WMNF as red herrings. And like they miraculously and conveniently only now just discovered 10 year old technology that will allow them to lower the tower heights in an attempt to appear as "good neighbors," I suspect they have a similar "new discovery" that will allow them to avoid the WMNF and will provide an "alternate solution" for that as well that will be revealed at a convenient time. So much talk of this project has been focused by design (IMO) on the tower height and the 5% of the route that would go through the WMNF, people's focus has been taken off the other 95%.

 

[peakbagger]

I saw this recently thought it might be of interest

http://www.forestsociety.org/news/press-release.asp?id=627

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Yesterday while climbing Adams I saw about a dozen wind towers being built east of Gorham, mostly likely in Maine. As best I could determine, the blades hadn't been attached yet.

Anyone know where this project is located? As the scope of it? (MW hours?).

I haven't read this entire thread so my apologies if it's been mentioned/discussed earlier.

Edit: Changed "west of Gorham" to "east"

 

[TDawg]

No expert here, but I'm not aware of any projects being built there at the moment. But, there are two Maine windfarms which are operating in that general area.

Record Hill (Roxbury) and Spruce Mountain (Woodstock)

Spruce Mountain has 10 turbines and around 28-30 miles due east of Gorham.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

No expert here, but I'm not aware of any projects being built there at the moment (I assume you mean EAST of Gorham.) But, there are two Maine windfarms which are operational in that general area.

Record Hill (Roxbury) and Spruce Mountain (Woodstock)

Spruce Mountain has 10 turbines and around 28-30 miles due east of Gorham.

Yes, meant east. Thanks for catching that. And thanks for the additional info. Am reasonably certain these towers had no blades. However, they are quite a few miles distant from Mt Adams.

 

[Raven]

The Forest Society's Trees not Towers Campaign has seen an increase in donations as the campaign is in its last week of fund raising.

It appears they have raised near 850,000 of the 2.5 million needed (for easements on 4 properties that will block the intended route of northern pass) and expect a lot of donations to come in by the end of the drive on Wednesday.

http://nonorthernpassnh.blogsot.com/

 

[peakbagger]

2 out of four properties. I guess everyone opposed to the project decided that someone else would donate

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20121031/NEWS02/121039830

 

[Raven]

Half way there

2 out of four properties. I guess everyone opposed to the project decided that someone else would donate

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20121031/NEWS02/121039830

I was happy to see they were able to solidify two of the properties even if not all four as of yet

They are extending the Trees Not Towers drive into 2013 as some companies (for tax purposes) would like to donate later. There is also allegedly a large donor waiting in the wings for more support before committing.

So, with some luck and support, these 4 properties will be conserved - it appears as though they still have some time to raise money and purchase the other two.

 

[RoySwkr]

2 out of four properties. I guess everyone opposed to the project decided that someone else would donate

To be fair, SPNHF already had a huge fund-raising campaign to buy the Balsams easement and with the economy some people may be tapped out

Last week SPNHF had a glossy insert in the Concord paper that the greatest visual impact will be in Concord with 140' towers - the line is right next to protected properties and certainly there will be more people around to see it

It seems to me that the bidding war in the North Country has easements selling for multiples of what the whole property would have gone for a few years ago - IIRC the assessed value of all of Coos county was once below that of the Seabrook nuclear plant

 

[Raven]

Trees Not Towers passes $1 Million with strong recent support

http://nonorthernpassnh.blogspot.com/

The Trees not Towers campaign has raised $1 million of the $2.5 million goal needed to conserve 4 key properties. The properties, beautiful in their own right, also block the intended route of Northern Pass.

As stated earlier, 2 of the 4 properties have been conserved using funds from this campaign. There was apparently a strong financial push in support of this after the 2 properties were gained. Over 1,000 donors in total now.

 

[peakbagger]

The latest gambit by PSNH
http://www.newhampshirelakesandmoun...-route-in-Dummer-3-Unincorporated-Places.html

Hmm I wonder now if they will run down to Berlin and follow RT 2 at the base of the Northern Presidentials? That would go over quite well

There was a wind farm application larger than the Millsfield project on tap for the area north of RT 26 but it was put on hold as there was no way to get the power exported. Perhaps NP is going to install a substation so the windfarm can be built? This might crack the door open for eminent domain as the project would now be a benefit to NH instead of just a way of wheeling Canadian power to Mass. It also would solve the rumored problem that the large new power plant in Berlin may not be able to run all the time due to lack of grid capacity. No matter what happens, the right of way is getting less and less direct with every change.