Regulators in New Hampshire, US, have rejected plans for the Northern Pass transmission project, leaving the future of the $1.6 billion project in doubt.
A bid submitted by Eversource and Hydro-Québec to utilize Northern Pass Transmission (NPT) to deliver significant amounts of hydropower to the New England grid was selected in the Massachusetts Clean Energy solicitation in late January. The line would begin at the Canadian border in Pittsburg, New Hampshire and extend 192 miles to Deerfield, New Hampshire where it connects to the New England electric grid.
However, the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee voted unanimously against the project last week, citing potential impacts on businesses and communities in the region, as well as the tourism industry.
The commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, Judith Judson, has now the distribution companies involved to let her know if they want to continue pursuing the Northern Pass project, or whether to consider other options.
According to local media reports, Eversource is ‘confident’ the project will move forward and is likely to request a re-hearing from the Site Evaluation Committee. Failing that there is the option to appeal to the state Supreme Court.