Vermont Business Magazine The preliminary approval for a power line that would travel from Quebec and run nearly 100 miles under Lake Champlain, before terminating in eastern Vermont, will now head to the public comment phase of the process.TDI New England announced Wednesdaythat the United States Department of Energy has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is now available for public review, for the New England Clean Power Link electric transmission line.
The Power Link is a proposed 154-mile underwater and underground transmission line that would deliver 1,000 MW hydroelectricity to the Vermont and New England market. The line is being developed with private sector financing by TDI and would originate at the Vermont-Quebec border and travel approximately 97.3 miles underwater down Lake Champlain to Benson, Vermont, and then be buried along town and state road and railroad rights-of-way, or on land owned by TDI New England, for approximately 56.7 miles to a new converter station that would be built in Ludlow, Vermont. The project is expected to be in service in 2019, at a cost of approximately $1.2 billion.
DOE to conduct public hearings to receive comments on the Draft EIS:Wednesday, July 15, 2015 @ 6:00p.m., at the Sheraton Burlington Hotel and Conference Center 870 Williston Road South Burlington, Vermont and Comments on the Draft EIS can be submitted verbally during public hearings or in writing to Mr. Brian Mills at: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE-20), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585; via e-mail to [email protected]; by facsimile to (202) 586-8008; or through the project website at http://necplinkeis.com. Please mark envelopes and electronic mail subject lines as “NECPL Draft EIS Comments.” Written comments must be received by August 11, 2015. Comments submitted after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. |
The Draft EIS assesses the Project’s potential environmental impacts under the National Environmental Policy Act, and the mandatory review process assures the public ample opportunity to comment on the document and the Project generally.
The Draft EIS is required as part of the Presidential Permit process for the Project. A Presidential Permit is needed to allow TDI New England to construct, operate, maintain, and connect the Clean Power Link across the U.S.-Canadian border in Northern Vermont. The DOE is expected to announce shortly the dates and times for public hearings this summer on the Draft EIS.
TDI New England CEO Donald Jessome said, “We are extremely pleased that the Department of Energy has issued this Draft EIS, inviting Vermonters and other stakeholders to review the document’s detailed analysis of how the project interacts with the environment. We look forward to working with the public, as well as federal and state regulators, to review these findings and finalize a project that will deliver clean, renewable power to New England in a minimally impactful way.”
TDI New England filed its application for a Presidential Permit on May 20, 2014. Public meetings soliciting comments on the scope of the EIS were held in Burlington and Rutland in September 2014. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Coast Guard are cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS.
TDI NE has conducted extensive public outreach to date, including sponsoring numerous community open house meetings in Vermont; holding a Lake Champlain Symposium to share information with the public and solicit input regarding the project’s interaction with Lake Champlain; participating in Federal scoping hearings on the project; and conducting months of outreach to local officials, stakeholder groups and landowners.
The Presidential Permit Application and Draft EIS can be viewed at: http://necplinkeis.com.
About TDI New England
TDI New England is a Blackstone Portfolio Company. New York-based Blackstone is a global leader in alternative asset management with $284 billion currently under management. The TDI New England team is made up of the same leadership team currently developing the Champlain Hudson Power Express in New York State. That project has received all federal and state permits. The developers have a strong track record of working in partnership with local elected officials, community groups, and other stakeholders to develop projects that meet unique energy needs of growing economies, while minimizing local impacts. More information on the company and the project are available at www.necplink.com.
Source: Burlington, VT (June 3, 2015) — TDI