Northern Pass

The juxtaposition of dark suits and neatly knotted ties against the sea of orange t-shirts could hardly be missed entering the Silver Center for the Plymouth Public Scoping Meeting on September 24, 2013. Although an official head count was not taken, according to some of the groups who were present that evening, an estimated four to six hundred people were in attendance of the meeting. Nevertheless, what is the Northern Pass and why should we care about it?

According to a Northern Pass Transmission, LLC. Press release dated June 27, 2013, "The Northern Pass is a proposed transmission line that will bring 1,200 megawatts of low-cost, clean, reliable energy [primarily hydropower] from Canada to New Hampshire and [other parts] of New England, containing enough renewable electricity to power one million homes."

Direct current (DC) electricity will travel from Canada to a converter terminal in Franklin, NH, where it will be converted to alternating current (AC) electricity." Most everyone agrees that we need to find alternative energy, but organizations such as, "No Northern Pass," "Live Free or Fry," and "Forest Society," have strong objections to the Pass as currently proposed.

This is the second proposal that has been put out by Northern Pass Transmission, LLC. and the controversy continues. The original proposal affected 186 private properties with overhead lines 40 miles of right of ways (which currently have no power lines), resulting in an appraisal of $5.2 million in additional property tax to Coos County. With the initial proposal being rejected, we are now looking at Northern Pass LLC's second proposal.

The amended application now affects 31 private properties with overhead lines, 32.25 miles of right of way at an estimate of $8.7 million in new property taxes for Coos County. Having such a significant decrease in private properties now being affected, the public may wonder where the lines will now be located. The new proposal will primarily affect existing right of ways with structures in place averaging 43 feet in height with new structures proposed at an average of 90 to 95 feet in height. The question nonetheless remains, which towns will be affected?

Per Northern Pass LLC; "the heart of the project is ... from the Canadian border, to Franklin, NH, where a converter terminal will be built to convert the electricity from direct current to alternating current (AC). From there, a new AC transmission line will carry the energy to an existing substation in Deerfield, NH and into New England's power grid." Consequently, affecting over 30 New Hampshire communities:

• Allenstown
• Ashland
• Bethlehem
• Bridgewater
• Bristol
• Campton
• Canterbury
• Clarksville
• Concord
• Dalton
• Deerfield
• Dixville
• Dummer
• Easton
• Franklin
• Hill
• Holderness
• Lancaster
• Lincoln
• Millsfield
• New Hampton
• Northfield
• Northumberland
• Pembroke
• Pittsburg
• Stark
• Stewartstown
• Sugar Hill
• Thornton
• Whitefield
• Woodstock

Scoping meetings were held throughout New Hampshire including the towns of Concord, Whitefield, Colebrook and Plymouth. The Plymouth meeting began promptly at 5pm and lasted for a full four hours. Among those in attendance were elected officials, State Senator Jeanie Forrester, NH Senate Majority Leader, Jeb Bradly, John W. Laverack Jr., Vice Chair Holderness Board of Selectmen, Tony Giunta, Vice Chair Franklin Planning Board among many others.

As the moderator George Kazinski of Maryland opened the meeting, he laid down basic ground rules for the opposition of the Northern Pass. The purpose, he explained, was to listen to comments, take part in the permit process and to under no conditions, question the panel. Subsequently, Kazinski introduced the "security detail," including our very own Plymouth Police and University Police, which had been hired to keep order. The expectation that the opponents would be an unruly bunch was immediately dismissed once the proponents seemed to address the audience, not the panel on stage.

- "We Are Not A Bunch of Backwoods Hillbillies," stated County Commissioner Martha Richards.
- "People have already stopped looking to buy in towns with easements," claimed NH House Rep, Suzanne Smith.
- "New Hampshire's increase in taxes will no longer exist," exclaimed Franklin City Council, Douglas Boyd.

One member of North Conway's Planning Commission went so far as to call the crowd, "very, very ignorant," and spreading a "profound perfusion of propaganda," against the Northern Pass. Francine Wendelboe showed her strong support of the Northern Pass, while Senator Jeanie Forrester rebutted Wendelboe's stance and stated, "The Northern Pass is a clear and present danger to New Hampshire." However, Jeb Bradley, NH Senate Majority Leader, eloquently presented a compromise to the need of the power and the atrocity of the view by having Northern Pass, "Bury the Lines!" This sentiment seemed to reverberate throughout the entire proceeding.

While the complete numbers have yet to be published, it appears as though there were about 60 speakers heard, 8 for the project as it stands, and 52 against. NPR reported in January of this year that the town of Franklin, NH, is expecting an increase of tax revenue upwards of $4.2 million. This reporter, along with many other New England residents, wonders if those who were for this project at the Plymouth Scoping Meeting will directly or indirectly benefit from those tax dollars.