Conservation Law Foundation Asks Department of Energy to Postpone Environmental Review on Northern Pass

Groups Demand Comprehensive Analysis of Northeast’s Energy Needs before Proceeding

CONTACT:
Karen Wood: (617) 850-1722 or kwood@clf.org
Christophe Courchesne: (603) 225-3060 or ccourchesne@clf.org

CONCORD, NH  April 28, 2011 – Today, Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and more than a dozen partners filed a formal motion urging the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to postpone its environmental review of the Northern Pass Project until it has completed a comprehensive, regional analysis of the nature and extent of the northeastern United States’ need for imports of Canadian power.  The motion calls for DOE to conduct a public review of energy needs, the environmental impacts of Canadian hydropower, the best available transmission technologies, and the alternatives to imports, including renewable energy sources and non-generation strategies like energy efficiency and conservation.  The motion asserts that the best way to address these issues is to conduct a regional analysis that would be documented in a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  This broader analysis could then guide future, project-specific reviews by DOE.

CLF staff attorney Christophe Courchesne said, “DOE should not be separately reviewing each project that crosses the border, one at a time, when there are common threshold questions about the regional need for imported power and the right strategy to meet whatever need exists.”

The motion explains that the Northern Pass project is an element of a major strategy on the part of Hydro-Québec and the Province of Québec to significantly expand hydro-electric generation and increase exports to the United States.  DOE is currently reviewing two separate applications to bring power into the northeastern United States: Northern Pass and the Champlain Hudson Power Express in New York. There will likely be more proposals in the future to expand existing interconnections or build new ones.

Tom Irwin, CLF New Hampshire Director, added: “Before DOE can make a reasoned decision on whether the Northern Pass project or any similar proposal is in the ‘public interest,’ it needs to take a step back and consider whether and how new imports from Canada should be a part of our regional energy picture.”

Background on CLF and Northern Pass

CLF is working to secure a clean energy future for New Hampshire and New England – one in which the region’s energy system (1) is cleaner and less carbon-intensive, (2) provides reliable power with minimal environmental impact and at reasonable cost, and (3) is supported by a robust, local clean-energy economy built on energy efficiency and renewables.  CLF is working to ensure that the Northern Pass project moves us toward – and not away from – this future, and is dedicated to promoting fair, well-informed, and rigorous environmental permitting processes to achieve:

• A solution with minimal impact on the environment and communities;
• Equitable sharing of benefits and burdens;
• Displacement of dirty power; and
• A market that encourages energy efficiency and provides a level playing field for local renewable energy.

For more information, visit http://www.clf.org/northernpass/.

The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) protects New England’s environment for the benefit of all people. Using the law, science and the market, CLF creates solutions that preserve natural resources, build healthy communities, and sustain a vibrant economy region-wide. Founded in 1966, CLF is a non-profit, member-supported organization with offices in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont.