The Northern Pass Project
Executive Summary
The Northern Pass Project is a proposal for a transmission line route that is designed to deliver electricity from Québec to the New England area. The $1.4 billion project will transmit Canadian hydroelectric power to the New England grid via 187 miles of transmission line, including 32.25 miles of new overhead right-of-way and 7.75 miles of new underground right-of-way in northern New Hampshire.1 The project, expected to be in service by mid-2017, has been a source of great controversy among electrical worker unions, environmental groups, and state officeholders. The Policy Research Shop is tasked with evaluating the benefits and costs of undergrounding all new right-of-ways on the Northern Pass route—from both economic and environmental perspectives.