Hydro-Quebec affirms commitment to New England’s Northern Pass project
by Cleantech Canada Staff
Transmission project would allow 1,000 megawatts of hydro power to enter U.S. from Quebec
ST. JOHN’S—Hydro-Québec and Eversource Energy, a New England-based utility, have affirmed their commitment to the Northern Pass Transmission Project, which they say will help solve New England’s energy challenges.
The two companies are working together to build the approximately 75-kilometer transmission line, which will allow Eversource to import about 1,000 megawatts of power from Quebec’s vast hydro fleet. Increasing clean energy trade between the Northeast U.S. and Eastern Canadian electricity markets has been a primary goal of the New England Governors and the Eastern Canadian Premiers, the companies noted.
“We are confident that the Northern Pass project will be the leading solution for delivering significant reliability, environmental, and economic benefits to both New England and Eastern Canada,” Eric Martel, Hydro-Québec’s CEO, said.
The companies’ continued commitment follows Eversource’s recent announcement of its Forward NH Plan that addresses feedback from New Hampshire stakeholders. The U.S. Department of Energy also released a favorable draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project. In addition, President Obama’s Clean Power Plan may help move Northern Pass forward, as it is designed to promote the faster adoption of clean energy solutions.
“Clean energy from Hydro-Québec will help to solve the unique energy challenges facing the New England power system, including the region’s reliance on natural gas for power generation and its need to expand use of renewable energy,” Hydro-Quebec said.
As the project’s comprehensive public permitting process moves forward, Eversource is continuing its outreach and soliciting additional feedback from New Hampshire stakeholders. The companies said Eversource’s subsidiary, Northern Pass, will soon file for New Hampshire state siting approval, while Hydro-Québec is pursuing a similar permitting process to construct a transmission line in Canada to connect its generation to Northern Pass at the border.
