Siting approval for New England link

Vermont has issued siting approval for the New England Power Link transmission line.

The US state’s public service board has given the project a certificate of public good which means it feels the project will promote the general good of the state, provide economic benefits and improvements to the energy supply for the state and its residents .

The certificate means the project has been approved to go ahead in the state and can be built and operated and the permitting process remains on track.

Construction is expected to start this year and commercial operations are scheduled to begin in 2019.

TDI New England chief executive Donald Jessome said: “We are extremely pleased that the PSB has issued this certificate and that the State of Vermont has approved the New England Clean Power Link.

“The Certificate brings us one step closer to delivering the benefits of clean, reliable, low-cost power to the residents and businesses of Vermont, and southern New England.”

Conservation Law Foundation attorney Sandra Levine said: “This is one of the largest energy projects in Vermont. TDI-New England addressed a variety of impacts in a responsible manner. They have worked well with stakeholders and have demonstrated that large energy projects can meet high environmental standards.”

Additionally, TDI New England recently announced that seven electricity suppliers from Canada and the United States have expressed interest in transmitting up to 3200MW of power over the clean power link following the FERC-required open solicitation process recently conducted by the company.

The Clean Power Link is anticipated to provide $1.9bn in energy savings to New England over its useful life.

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