By Doug La Rocque
Representatives and consultants working for National Grid planned an informal informational Open House Tuesday night, November 14, to allow residents to look over the many maps and charts they brought and to meet the team that is handling the project. What they got, however, was about 40 residents of Stephentown and some nearby communities that wanted answers to their questions about the so called “Northeast Renewal Link.”
National Grid has placed a preliminary proposal before theBment of Public Utilities to build a 23 mile transmission line from the Alps portion of the Town of Nassau to Hinsdale, MA, passing through Stephentown. This line would carry 600 megawatts of clean energy for use in Massachusetts. That state last year passed a law requiring a much large portion of its energy consumption to come from so-called “green generated” electricity. This is defined as electricity that is produced by wind, solar and hydropower. Under National Grid’s proposal, they would make use of existing hydroelectric generation in the Alps, and in conjunction with other outside contractors, add both wind and solar generated electricity to the mix to create the “green energy.” National Grid hopes to learn as early as January of 2018 if they have been chosen as one of perhaps five contractors hired to provide the energy transmission into the state.
George DeLoureiro is National Grid’s project manager, and he spent more than an hour answering questions. Some of the more salient inquires dealt with land ownership and if Niagara Mohawk, which actually owns the land a current 600 megawatt transmission line is constructed on, would require more acreage. The answer to that was no, there where no plans to expand beyond the current boundaries. Mr. DeLoureiro was asked if they could not simply transmit the extra megawatts over the existing line. He answered it was being considered, but at this point did not seem feasible. It was also questioned why this energy could not be generated closer to home in Massachusetts. The answer was that the state was entertaining proposals to bring in power from several other states and Canada. As to exactly why was a question that would have to be posed to Massachusetts officials. Asked how residents would be assured it would always be “green energy,” the project manager said the terms of the contract they are seeking require it never be mixed with electricity generated in any other form and that the lenght of the contract was 40 years. And as to the multitude of environmental questions, Mr. DeLoureiro repeatedly pointed out that the entire proposal would be subject to strict and exacting environmental review by both New York and Massachusetts. Both states would have to grant approval and the permitting process alone was expected to take until mid-2019. If construction was given a green light, it would not be completed until some time in 2021. Overall, it was a peaceful and respectable exchange, though some residents appeared not to be completely satisfied with the company’s answers. Several mentioned the recent Kinder Morgan gas line proposal which was eventually withdrawn. They were of the opinion that company was not completely honest with them.
This was just the first of what the National Grid representative said would be many meetings with residents during each step of the process. The company has a website and a hot line for more information and has promised to send The Eastwick Press the particulars, which will be passed along as soon as they are received, as well as the date of any future public sessions.