Another "hydropower" Power Line Project (Hudson, Conway: houses, construction)

[abnfdc]

This one seems to be marketed better than "let's pave the mountains to bring MA power".

NHPR Article: https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2023-05...ian-hydropower

Proposal Website: https://www.twinstatescleanenergylink.com/


Looks like they intend to use underground piping beneath state roads in VT, cross the NH border probably near the Mount Orne Bridge in Lancaster by tunneling under the Connecticut River, then underground piping down NH 135 through Dalton, Littleton, and into Monroe where they pick up the existing power line corridor and run south. From the proposal, it looks like they may not even need to replace the poles on that existing line.

IMO, the proposal seems a bit light on facts and is more breathlessly cheerleading the project. Which I suppose is understandable given that they are still trying to sell the project.

I am a bit skeptical of their community benefits.

I'm curious how the unaffected communities will benefit. Is Conway for example going to see a cheaper bill? I would love to see numbers versus the conceptual hand waives.

Will this lead to the current gas/coal plants to be shut down prematurely and then we won't have a surplus leading to a cheaper bill.

I'm also curious as to how the affected communities will benefit. The proposal mentions property taxes, but if they are not putting up new structures, they will just be sharing the existing tax burden with Eversource(they supposedly pay my town >$100K a year just for poles/wires). No net benefit there, just a different payer.

Will the three towns who get the underground pipeline receive a property tax benefit? After all, they will supposedly run it under the existing state road. I wonder how/if that will work.

I do feel sorry for those that live on or travel 135. Some of those houses are pretty close to the road and 135 sees over 3500 vehicles a day with some truck traffic. It will probably be a mess.


Anywho, I'm a fan of hydro over the other renewables such as barely functional in our wind conditions wind farms or acres of solar panels and think this may be a good thing here. Figured I would start a thread for future discussions on it.

[ben young]

It will not help the two states its going through ,but will certainly disrupt our environment in order to benefit the push for EV in Massachusetts .

[Wells5]

This proposed new transmission line stands a better chance of being approved than the "Northern Pass" line. Looking at the map of this project, I can't tell if the cables will be placed next to the Connecticut River or run underneath it.



The "Champlain Hudson Power Express" line which will bring Quebec Hydro Power into NYC has been approved and is under construction. It will run under Lake Champlain and the Hudson River. Being invisible is why there were very few objections.

[abnfdc]

I agree that this project has a better chance of a positive reception and approval.

They'll use directional drilling to cross the border under the Connecticut River and then run them under NH135 likely by the Lancaster/Dalton border. Whether that means they dig up the road or trench beside it, I don't know.

[algernonsidney]

WRT cheaper bills, you can watch the committees debate the bill and also house floor testimony. It seems to me, regardless of any other perspective, that the GOP is focused on "cheaper energy bills" and the Democrats are focused on "greener energy". There might be nuance within each caucus, but if you want a shortcut for this, figure out which of those two is more important to you, and listen to what that caucus says on the subject.

[Paul E Wannacracker]

Originally Posted by abnfdc

I agree that this project has a better chance of a positive reception and approval.

They'll use directional drilling to cross the border under the Connecticut River and then run them under NH135 likely by the Lancaster/Dalton border. Whether that means they dig up the road or trench beside it, I don't know.

Anyone who's driven 135 knows that it's frost heave city in the winter. Not a lot of spots where it's practical to trench along side of it, so I presume if this happens it'll be under the roadway. Disruptive during construction, but maybe when they finish there'll be a better roadbed under it.