Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Northern Pass Transmission, LLC (Northern Pass) has applied to the DOE for a Presidential permit to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a 192-mile (309-km) electric transmission line across the United States (U.S.)/Canada border in northern New Hampshire (NH). The draft EIS analyzes potential environmental impacts from the proposed project (as described in the amended Presidential permit application filed by Northern Pass Transmission, LLC [Northern Pass] on July 1, 2013) and the range of reasonable alternatives (collectively referred to as “the Project”). In August 2015, subsequent to the publication of the draft EIS, Northern Pass submitted a “Further Amendment to Presidential Permit Application” which made changes to Northern Pass’ proposed project. In light of the August 2015 amendment to the application, a supplement to the draft EIS was prepared to disclose the potential impacts of the revised project (referred to as “Alternative 7”).
The NH portion of the Project would be a single circuit ±300 kilovolt (kV) high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line running approximately 158 miles (254 km) from the U.S. border crossing with Canada in Pittsburg, NH, to a new direct current-to-alternating current (DC-to-AC) converter station to be constructed in Franklin, NH. From Franklin, NH, to the Project terminus at the Public Service of New Hampshire’s existing Deerfield Substation located in Deerfield, NH, the Project would consist of 34 miles (55 km) of 345 kV AC electric transmission line. The total length of the Project would be approximately 192 miles (309 km).
Documents and Resources
The draft EIS summarizes the detailed analysis contained in resource-specific technical reports. The draft EIS and technical reports are available for download through the buttons below. Recognizing the public interest in the visual resource, a button linking to that information, accessible through a map, is provided below to facilitate public review.
Northern Pass EIS – Alternatives Considered in Detail
This map displays the alternatives considered in detail in the Northern Pass Transmission Line EIS.
The analysis of the Project was divided into three geographic sections and one administrative section defined by the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF). The Northern Section includes portions of the Project within Coös County, NH. The Central Section includes portions of the Project within Grafton and Belknap counties, NH. The Southern Section includes portions of the Project within Merrimack and Rockingham counties, NH. The WMNF Section is within the Northern and Central Sections and includes portions of the Project within the borders of the WMNF.
Users Guide:
- Click the checkboxes to the left of the map to turn each section layer on or off within the map
- Hover the cursor over an alternative label to the left of the map for a brief discussion (additional details about the alternatives are available in the draft EIS)
- Click on any alternative features on the map for brief description
- Click the checkboxes to the left of the map to turn each alternative on or off within the map (HINT: the most recently selected route will be displayed on top of any other active routes. If overlapping routes are obstructing your view of a particular route, turn the route off and on again to bring it to the top of the map.)
- Alternatives are identified by color to the left of the map Dashed lines indicate sections of underground cable
- Solid lines indicate sections of overhead transmission line Green points indicate converter stations and substations associated with each alternative, click on the points in the map to identify the facility