New Hampshire committee rejects Quebec hydro line
Northern Pass project would provide electricity to Massachusetts for 20 years
A proposed power transmission line that would carry electricity from Quebec to Massachusetts has been rejected by a New Hampshire state committee.
The Site Evaluation Committee voted unanimously to reject the Northern Pass application on Thursday, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.
The transmission line would have carried electricity generated by Hydro-Québec through New Hampshire, where it would connect to the Massachusetts grid.
Last week, the state of Massachusetts selected a proposal by Hydro-Québec and Eversource, the New England-based energy company that planned to develop the Northern Pass, to provide electricity to the state for 20 years.
Hydro-Québec said the deal could be worth as much as $10 billion over 20 years.
On Thursday afternoon, HydroQuébec spokesperson Marc-Antoine Pouliot said the utility was still analyzing the decision and that it was too early to comment.
But Eversource spokesperson Martin Murray said in a statement: “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. We will be seeking reconsideration of the SEC’s decision, as well as reviewing all options for moving this critical clean energy project forward.”
While the Northern Pass application has faced significant opposition in New Hampshire, on Jan. 26, the day after Massachusetts selected the Hydro- Québec proposal, the utility’s CEO played down fears that the transmission line would be rejected.
“The situation has evolved a lot over the last two years,” Eric Martel said. “I think there was much more opposition two years ago.”
He said New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is in favour of the project and Eversource has worked to sell it in the state. Eversource had planned to bury approximately 100 kilometres of the transmission line in an effort to address concerns.
The decision by the seven-member Site Evaluation Committee came on the third day of a 12-day public deliberation process. A written decision is expected to be released before the end of March.
The committee held hearings on the 309-kilometre line for eight months.
The project was first proposed in 2010 and, under the original plan, would have delivered electricity to several states, including New Hampshire. However, under the deal with Massachusetts, the line’s full capacity would be used to transmit electricity to that state alone.
Critics of the plan said it would damage New Hampshire’s environment and large transmission towers would be an eyesore, hurting tourism in the state.
Critics also said the benefits of the Northern Pass would go to large companies like Hydro- Québec and Eversource, which is based in Hartford, Conn., and Boston, Mass., with little benefit for New Hampshire.
One group, Protect the Granite State, said it was akin to running a “monstrous extension cord” across New Hampshire.
Eversource can petition for a second hearing before the committee and if that is denied, it can be appealed to the state Supreme Court, according to the Union Leader.
Massachusetts’ deal with HydroQuébec and Eversource has also proven controversial in that state. Some groups like the Sierra Club said the state should have chosen wind and solar power projects in the United States.
The deal is also being reviewed by the Massachusetts attorney general to ensure the bidding process was “transparent, competitive and fair,” according to MassLive.