Northern Pass Transmission, LLC (Northern Pass) proposed to construct a 192-mile electric transmission line across the United States/Canada border in northern New Hampshire, requiring a Presidential Permit issued by the Department of Energy (DOE) and a Special Use Permit issued by the United States Forest Service (Forest Service). To comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, the DOE identified that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was required. As portions of the project were proposed to cross the White Mountain National Forest, the Forest Service was a cooperating agency in the development of the EIS and was an authorizing agency.
SE Group was selected as the Prime Contractor for the EIS, which analyzed the potential environmental impacts of 11 alternatives of varying alignments and construction methodologies, including overhead and buried transmission line segments.
Thorough analysis of this controversial project and public engagement were critical elements of the process. Key issues included impacts to visuals and economics (positive and negative) in terms of property values and tourism. Through the scoping, draft EIS, and final EIS processes, the public provided over 7,000 comment letters, which SE Group efficiently processed through our Comment Database. Additionally, SE Group orchestrated public meetings with over 600 members of the public in attendance. SE Group’s expertise in the complex EIS process resulted in Record of Decisions issued by the DOE and Forest Service in 2017 and 2018, respectively.