By William Opalka
The Vermont Public Service Board on Tuesday approved a 1,000-MW transmission line to bring Canadian hydropower into New England, completing state and federal review of a project that could begin construction this year.
The New England Clean Power Link, proposed in 2013 by a unit of the Blackstone Group, is scheduled to be in service in 2019.
“The NECPL will provide significant environmental, electrical and economic benefits for Vermont and the region, including diversifying the state and regional fuel supply, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating in-state jobs, producing millions of dollars in new state and local taxes and public good benefits, and potentially lowering electricity costs,” the order said (Docket # 8400).
Blackstone Group unit TDI New England began its open season last month and reported expressions of interest from seven potential customers on both sides of the border. (See Infrastructure Build-out Moves to Forefront in New England.)
The company’s project timeline calls for completion of an interconnection study and project financing, execution of transmission service agreements and the beginning of construction in 2016.
Ninety-eight miles of the cable would be buried under Lake Champlain, and most of its land-based route would be underground to Ludlow, Vt.
The order noted that the project “will not be without impacts.” It cites a large, above-ground station to convert direct current power to alternating current. Travelers on Vermont highways where the HVDC line will be buried will be inconvenienced during construction.
“However, we conclude that the project’s benefits are significant enough to outweigh any potential negative effects, thus promoting the general good of the state,” regulators said.
The U.S. Department of Energy approved the project last year. (See Energy Department OKs Canadian Hydro Line in New England.)
Competing Project
A competing project, the Northern Pass, would deliver 1,090 MW through New Hampshire and is also scheduled to deliver energy in 2019.
Its opponents say the speed in which the Clean Power Link has progressed through the approval process means it is likely to deliver energy first. That clouds the prospects for the New Hampshire project ever getting built, they say.
However, a spokeswoman for Northern Pass has said that project has an interconnection approval from ISO-NE, a confirmed supplier of energy in HydroQuebec and a commitment from Eversource Energy to buy some of the electric power.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is pushing legislation that could allow the state’s suppliers to buy up to 1,200 MW of power in addition to the needs of neighboring states.