National Grid announced a proposal to develop a new transmission project that would bring up to 1,200 MW of clean energy, like solar, from Canada to the New England power grid. To drive down costs, increase efficiency and minimize environmental impacts, the proposed Granite State Power Link (GSPL) will be constructed almost entirely along existing transmission corridors and will maximize use of existing infrastructure.
As proposed, the GSPL comprises two segments: the first is a new high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) overhead line located in Vermont alongside an existing HVDC line in an expanded right-of-way corridor from the international border at Norton, Vermont to a proposed converter station on National Grid-owned property in Monroe, New Hampshire. The second segment is an upgrade of an existing National Grid overhead line in NH to accommodate the additional power flow from the new HVDC line. That line runs from Monroe to southern NH, where a proposed switching station would be built.
“We believe this proposed project reflects the priorities we’ve heard from state and local communities on their need for lower cost, energy efficient and environmentally sound solutions,” said John Flynn, National Grid senior vice president of Business Development. “The GSPL meets these tests; our stakeholder engagement and outreach is underway and we look forward to continuing our work with communities of all types to earn their support. Community dialogue and engagement will be a hallmark of GSPL.”
GSPL is a commercial project; its development will be funded by National Grid and its investors, not customers of its regulated companies.
An investor in the project is a non-profit energy company that works with utilities and developers across the country to develop clean transmission projects and uses revenues from these ventures to finance new charitable programs to help low-income working families with their energy needs. Continuing this commitment, Massachusetts-based Citizens Energy has pledged to use 50 percent of its own profits from the project to fund energy assistance programs for local families living in NH and VT.
GSPL will provide significant economic benefits in NH and VT. More than an estimated 2,000 jobs will be created during construction and the project host communities and key state programs will receive significant new tax revenues and direct benefits. National Grid will be meeting with host communities and state officials in the coming months to discuss these and other benefits.
The project is also expected to lower energy costs across New England by $1.1billion over its first 10 years of operation.
“We designed this project to be a win-win-win for New England’s energy consumers, the project host states and communities, and the environment,” Flynn said. “When you combine the project’s potential to lower regional electricity rates, economic development investment, environmental benefits, its cost-effectiveness, and the minimal visual and environmental impacts to the host communities, it’s clear that GSPL is uniquely positioned to bring clean energy to life in the region.”
“NVDA is pleased to support and welcome the development of the Granite State Power Link in the Northeast Kingdom,” said Dave Snedeker, executive director of the Northeastern Vermont Development Association. “The project, developed next to an existing transmission corridor, will have a limited environmental and visual impact, and will deliver significant economic benefits to an area of Vermont that desperately needs an economic boost. We look forward to working with National Grid to further define what the specific economic benefits will be.”
National Grid is a world leader in developing large, complex transmission projects, including major HVDC interconnectors. National Grid built, co-owns and operates the nation’s first HVDC system, which interconnects New England and Canada and has delivered up to 2,000 megawatts of clean energy for more than 25 years. In the UK, National Grid co-developed and co-owns interconnectors to France and the Netherlands, and is developing others that will connect the UK to Norway and Belgium. A second link to France is under consideration, along with interconnectors to Denmark and Iceland.
In December, National Grid completed sea2shore: The Renewable Link, a transmission project that interconnected the nation’s first offshore wind farm, located off the Rhode Island coast, to the mainland grid.
National Grid is also a leader in developing and implementing award-winning energy efficiency programs that have significantly contributed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the past several years, National Grid has helped make over a million homes and businesses more efficient, saving customers millions of megawatt hours of electricity and hundreds of millions of therms of natural gas. This equates to taking more than 700,000 cars off the road for a year. Since 2009, the states where National Grid operates all have ranked in the top 10 most energy efficient in the US.
News item from GraniteStatePowerLink.com