By William Opalka

Eversource Energy last week proposed burying 60 miles of its proposed Northern Pass power line from Canada, but some critics insist the entire route be underground. Others, including New Hampshire’s governor, say that while the revised route is an improvement, they are hopeful for a plan with even fewer visual impacts.

Eversource subsidiary Northern Pass Transmission had previously proposed burying 8 miles of the now 192-mile route, but the company bowed to pressure and removed above-ground lines through the White Mountain National Forest and other sensitive areas.

On Thursday, the Appalachian Mountain Club naturalists group, which has been a vocal critic, said it and its allies should take some credit for the “dramatic shift” but that Eversource could do more. “For years the company has claimed that burial of the line was technically impossible and prohibitively costly …  So while we are glad to see this additional 52 miles of the project buried, the question remains: Why not all of it?”

Jack Savage, speaking for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, said “Northern Pass deserves credit,” but more must be done.

“Given that the new technology is apparently allowing Northern Pass to propose burying another 52 miles without increasing the overall project cost of $1.4 billion, there would seem to be opportunity for more burial along roadways,” he added.

Eversource said it doesn’t need to make any more concessions.

“There are going to be folks who’ve ardently opposed this from the outset and perhaps are going to look at it as an opportunity,” Bill Quinlan, president of the utility’s New Hampshire operations, told the New Hampshire Union Leader on Wednesday. “They’re going to say, ‘We got them to move this far; we can get them to move further,’ and I think that’s unlikely.”

Political Leaders Split

Political leaders in the state are divided.

“I have made clear that if Northern Pass is to move forward, it must propose a project that protects our scenic views and treasured natural resources while also reducing energy costs for our families and businesses,” Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan said in a statement. “This route is an improvement over the previous proposal.”

She said dialogue from the company must continue and include “further improvements.”

However, the change was enough to win the support of Charles Morse (R-Salem), president of the New Hampshire Senate. “The changes announced by Eversource represent a major improvement to the project and a great opportunity for our state, and I am pleased to be able to support the Northern Pass project as now revised,” Morse said.

Eversource says it will file plans in October with the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee, a panel including members of the Public Utilities Commission, other state officials and members of the public. The company hopes to start construction in 2017 and have the line in service in 2019.

Capacity Reduced

The decision to bury more of the line forced a reduction in its capacity from 1,200 MW to 1,000 MW.

Rerouting of the line makes it 5 miles longer, up from the original 187 miles that included underground lines only near the Canadian border. The additional underground miles would be buried along existing roads through the White Mountain National Forest, Franconia Notch and the Appalachian Trail.

A draft environmental impact statement released by the U.S. Department of Energy last month said the cheapest alternative would also have the most visual impact on natural areas. (See Price Tag Likely to Rise for Northern Pass Transmission Line.)

The company said the price tag of the project will remain at about $1.4 billion. Spokesman Martin Murray said the Northern Pass will use HVDC Light technology from ABB that is cheaper and more efficient than conventional HVDC cable. Reducing the project’s capacity also keeps its cost stable, Murray added.

Eversource has said burying the entire route would double its cost and make it economically unfeasible. About 400 above-ground structures will be eliminated by the new plan, with 80% of the route along existing roads and company rights of way.

The company said the additional underground construction will result in the longest HVDC underground land cable installation in North America.

But that comes at a cost. According to the draft EIS, the “DOE has determined that extended burial of a transmission line with a capacity of 1,000 MW would be practical and technically feasible. The burial of a transmission line with a capacity of 1,200 MW for extended distances would not be feasible.”

The new underground route includes most of alternative 5c and elements of alternative 4c from the draft EIS.

The developers say the project, which they have dubbed the Forward New Hampshire Plan, will bring economic benefits of more than $3 billion to the state. Lower wholesale energy prices in the ISO-NE market are expected to save New Hampshire customers $80 million annually. Additionally, a 100-MW power purchase agreement with Hydro Québec is expected to reduce consumers’ yearly bills by another $10 million.

The line is projected to create 2,400 construction jobs and generate $30 million in annual tax revenue. The developers also have promised a $200 million Forward NH Fund to support initiatives in tourism, economic development, community investment and clean energy innovation.