Tagged: Northern Pass

The extremely low prices for natural gas – which can be used to generate electricity - have some  opponents  of Northern Pass wondering whether Hydro-Quebec  might reconsider the project. But a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says that’s unlikely.

“The current situation in the natural-gas  market  is not one I would think makes any difference in terms of the economic value of the project,” said Henry Jacoby, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

After 18 months of federal and state review, Northeast Utilities has completed a $5-billion purchase of Boston-based NStar. The deal makes PSNH’s parent company the largest utility in New England.

During a conference call, CEO Tom May said the acquisition would help his company pursue the Northern Pass project.

"The new NU will, because of the financial strength of the combined companies, actually have credit rating upgrades, which should make it a lot easier to finance this project," said May.

The Northern Pass plan calls for the creation of expensive--and controversial--transmission lines that would bring hydro-electric power from Canada.

The combined company will have 3.5-million customers throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Looking at day-to-day coverage of Northern Pass, it tends to (unsurprisingly) focus on the New Hampshire perspective.  Will the project provide a much-needed boost to the North Country economy, or just create a spot of temp work?  What will the project do to land values?  Who’s selling their land, who’s holding fast, and why?  What are the chances the project could invoke eminent domain?

Two of three North Country towns yesterday approved an ordinance designed to fight the Northern Pass project by trying to strip corporations of their power.

Lancaster, Sugar Hill and Easton all had the same idea: An ordinance that would assert a town’s rights over those of corporations.

The idea is to prevent large corporations – such as those behind the Northern Pass project – from using the legal muscle given them by U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

Another part of the ordinance says state and federal officials cannot overrule a town’s wishes.

The goal is to stop Northern Pass from crossing the towns with the huge towers carrying power from Canada.

Opposition to the Northern Pass Project has inspired lawn signs, bumper stickers and even legislation.   Avid hiker Larisa Dannis has taken her protest of the proposed 180 mile transmission line through New Hampshire’s North Country to the top. 

The 24 year old is hiking New Hampshire’s four thousand foot summits this winter- all 48 of them.  At the top of each mountain, she pauses to unfurl a bright orange banner expressing her opposition. She then has a companion snap a picture- sometimes with a fellow hiker she meets along the way. She’s been posting those pictures online, and says she is trying to tell fellow hikers about the Project and why she’s against it. 

The controversial Northern Pass hydro-electric project “cannot happen without local support” and “should not happen with eminent domain,” Gov. Lynch’s said today in his State of the State address.

Here is the paragraph from his speech:

"One of the biggest issues facing our state and our environment is the proposal for the Northern Pass. I support bringing more renewable power to our state. It is in our long-term interests to diversify our power sources, and we should not dismiss out of hand the idea of hydropower from Canada.  But the proponents of Northern Pass need to listen better. This project cannot happen without local support. And it should not happen with eminent domain.”

StateImpact’s Amanda Loder has an interesting analysis – with some help from the Concord Monitor – at how opposition to eminent domain breaks out demographically and by political persuasion.

Here’s her report.

StateImpact NH is a cooperative project between NHPR and NPR.