Department of Energy February 4, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces public hearings to receive comments on the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of DOE's proposed Federal action of issuing a Presidential permit to Northern Pass LLC (the Applicant) to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a new electric transmission line across the U.S./Canada border in northern New Hampshire. The U.S. Forest ServiceWhite Mountain National Forest (USFS), the U.S. Army Corps of EngineersNew England District (USACE), the U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyRegion 1 (EPA), and the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning (NHOEP) are cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS. The New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee (SEC) was established by the New Hampshire legislature for the review, approval, monitoring and enforcement of compliance in the planning, siting, construction and operation of energy facilities in the State of New Hampshire. On October 19, 2015, Northern Pass Transmission, LLC and Public Service Company of New Hampshire d/b/a Eversource Energy (collectively Applicant), filed an Application for a Certificate of Site and Facility (Application) seeking the issuance of a Certificate of Site and Facility approving the siting, construction, and operation of a 192- mile transmission line and associated facilities with a capacity rating of up to 1,090 MW from the Canadian border in Pittsburg in Coos County to Deerfield in Rockingham County (Project). New Hampshire law, R.S.A. Section 162-H:10(I-c), requires that within 90 days after acceptance of an application for a certificate, that the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee shall hold at least one public hearing in each county where the proposed facility will be located.