National Energy Board approves Québec–New Hampshire interconnection project

The National Energy Board (NEB) has granted Hydro-Québec a permit to build and operate its Québec–New Hampshire international power transmission line. With this last main permit in hand, construction of this major infrastructure with a view to increasing hydropower exports to New England can now begin in Québec. 

The Québec–New Hampshire interconnection project, also known as the Northern Pass, is a 320-kV DC transmission line some 80 km long, which will be extended into the U.S. to connect Des Cantons substation in Val-Joli to Franklin substation in southern New Hampshire. 

Both NEB and Québec government permits were required because it is an international transmission line. 

Approval was obtained after a public consultation process organized by Hydro-Québec in cooperation with the host community. The process of obtaining permits from the various provincial and federal authorities included several steps:

• Hearings held by the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement [board of public environmental hearings]
• A review by the Régie de l’énergie [Québec energy board]
• Three public comment periods under the aegis of the NEB
• Submission of Hydro-Québec’s responses to over 20 sets of questions passed on by the various federal and provincial authorities
• Many undertakings, chiefly respecting environmental matters

In a news release of February 16, 2018, Massachusetts announced that negotiations with a view to reaching an agreement on the Northern Pass project would continue until March 27, 2018, and that it would at the same time enter into negotiations respecting the New England Clean Energy Connect project, with the same deadline.