Hartford/Boston utility parent Eversource Energy on Tuesday agreed to underground 31 percent of its proposed 1,000 megawatt transmission line in New Hampshire.
The Northern Pass project has been a bone of contention for New Hampshire residents for more than five years, as Eversource wants to connect the New England power grid to cheaper Canadian hydropower but the people of northern New Hampshire are concerned about having an unsightly power line in the scenic country.
Tuesday’s announcement sought to address those concerns with Eversource saying 60 miles of the 192-mile transmission line would be buried underground in the key scenic areas, including the White Mountain National Forest and the Appalachian Trail.
Eversource also agreed to reduce to capacity on the transmission line from 1,200 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts, which helps enable the underground construction. The announcement came after the U.S. Department of Energy did its environmental review of the project proposals, which said Eversource’s original plan to not underground any part of the line was the most cost-effective way to get to the Canadian hydropower but had the most detriment to the scenery and tourism industries.
The changes to the Northern Pass project were the centerpiece of Eversource’s Forward New Hampshire plan unveiled Tuesday, which focuses on relieving energy supply constraints in the state and the rest of New England. Eversource said the plan would have $3 billion in economic benefit for New Hampshire.
