New Hampshire panel delays decision on Northern Pass power line

It will be at least a few more weeks before a New Hampshire state committee decides whether it will reconsider its decision to block a transmission line that would carry billions of dollars worth of Quebec electricity through the state.

On Feb. 1, the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee voted unanimously to deny approval of the Northern Pass, a 309-kilometre transmission line that would have connected electricity grids in Quebec and Massachusetts.

Eversource, which would have built and operated the transmission line, appealed that decision.

On Monday, the Site Evaluation Committee voted to suspend the oral decision it issued on Feb. 1 until it publishes its written decision later this month.

That procedural ruling means that it’s unlikely the committee will decide whether it will reopen deliberations until mid-April or May.

“The SEC, as we say here in the U.S., is kicking the can down the road,” said Jack Savage, the vicepresident of communications at the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, a group that opposes the project. “They could have granted the motion, they could have denied the motion, or they could have done what they did, which is suspend the oral decision, which has no practical effect in the short term. It just gives them time to wait for the written decision to come out.”

In January, Massachusetts selected Northern Pass for a 20-year contract to supply energy to the state, a deal that could be worth up to $10 billion for Hydro- Québec.

After the SEC voted against the plan, Massachusetts set a deadline of March 27. If the Northern Pass isn’t approved by then, the state plans to select another transmission proposal, which runs through Maine.

While that project would be built by a different U.S. utility, HydroQuébec would still be the sole power generator involved.

“We’re closely monitoring all developments in New Hampshire,” said Lynn St-Laurent, a HydroQuébec spokesperson.

Ultimately, which project goes ahead will be up to Massachusetts, she said.

“We understand the SEC’s decision to suspend its Feb. 1 oral decision, pending issuance of a written order,” Martin Murray, the manager of media relations at Eversource, said in a statement. “We hope it is an indication that the SEC will evaluate the required statutory criteria, as well as thoroughly consider all of the conditions that could provide the basis for granting approval.”

But Savage said he believes the decision is a sign the SEC plans to stick with its original ruling.

“From our standpoint, this was a good decision today,” Savage said.

And with the Massachusetts deadline coming before the SEC ruling on whether to reconsider the project, it’s likely there will be no guaranteed contract attached, making the economic argument for the development weaker, Savage said. “This just closed the door tighter on Northern Pass,” he said. With files from Presse Canadienne