As another round of public hearings nears, interveners in opposition ranging from towns to state lawmakers have filed to influence the siting of Northern Pass, which a growing number say can be fully buried using a portion of the billions of dollars Hydro-Quebec and Eversource would make in profit.
Friday was the deadline to file for intervener status with the N.H. Site Evaluation Committee.
Among the interveners is state Sen. Jeff Woodburn, D-Dalton, who in a statement this week said the project as proposed - 8 miles of buried hydroelectric transmission line in upper Coos County and 52 miles of line buried from Bethlehem south to Bridgewater - is a "grossly unfair imbalance" that needs to be addressed.
"The current proposal falls short and must be changed to meet the needs of the North Country -- particularly Coos County," said Woodburn. "I've long said that Northern Passneeds to provide tangible, local benefits and I've been open to discussions to accomplish this. Presently, this proposal rewards communities to the south with underground lines and huge local property tax benefits, while leaving much of the northern region with above-ground lines and few benefits. It divides the North Country into winners and losers."
Woodburn was among 68 N.H. legislators signing a joint petition to intervene that was submitted to the SEC by state Rep. Sue Ford, D-Easton.
In addition to Ford and Woodburn, North Country lawmaker interveners include state Sen. Jeannie Forrester and state Reps. Laurence Rappaport, R-Colebrook; John Fothergill, R-Colebrook; John Tholl, R-Whitefield; Leon Rideout, R-Lancaster; Erin Hennessey, R-Littleton; Linda Massimilla, D-Littleton; Rick Ladd, R-Haverhill; and Brad Bailey, R-Monroe.
State Rep. Rebecca Brown, D-Sugar Hill, was unable to sign the petition by the deadline, but is expected to file a motion requesting intervention.The lawmakers' petition states, "Many of us represent towns through which the proposedNorthern Pass project, if built, would pass. All of us have an interest in protecting one of New Hampshire's greatest assets, its beauty.
Northern Pass, a partnership between Eversource and Hydro-Quebec, is not needed for electric grid reliability and would primarily benefit southern New England, they said.
In a 2013 filing with the U.S. Department of Energy, when the project was estimated at $1.4 billion and had only the 8 miles of burial in Coos County, Eversource stated any additional costs of under-grounding would make the project "economically infeasible if they affect any substantial portion of the line" and under-grounding "any significant distance" is "an unreasonable alternative."
In August, however, Eversource, parent company of Northern Pass, announced plans to bury an additional 52 miles at an additional cost of $200 million.
If the 1,090-megawatt, 192-mile line is approved, Eversource, as calculated in its Transmission Service Agreement, would make a minimum guaranteed profit of $2 billion during the 40-year term of the line.
Based on August 2015 megawatt hour prices, Hydro-Quebec, which would pay all NorthernPass development costs as well as taxes and annual payments for Eversource, according to federal filings, stands to make more than $20 billion during the 40 years.
To date, Hydro-Quebec has not commented on N.H. concerns about the towers and overhead lines residents say would negatively impact property values and the state's scenic resources and has not said if it would agree to use a portion of its projected profit to fully bury the line at an additional Eversource-estimated cost of $1 billion.
Intervener status gives parties a legal standing in the SEC process and allows them to question the applicant and look at evidence and testimony Northern Pass will provide to the agency.
Other SEC interveners opposed to the project as proposed include more than 80 landowners and more than 20 towns.
The Grafton County Commission has intervened in opposition as has Coos County District 3 Commissioner Rick Samson. Coos County Commissioner Paul Grenier has voiced support for the project as proposed. Coos County Commissioner Tom Brady has not publicly taken a position.
Approaching is another series of hearings around the state, including a joint SEC-U.S. Department of Energy hearing currently scheduled for 5 p.m. March 7 at Colebrook Elementary School and a DOE hearing currently scheduled for 5 p.m. March 11 at the Mountain View Grand in Whitefield.
The hearing for Grafton County is scheduled for 5 p.m. March 14 in Plymouth.