The route proposed for the Northern Pass hydroelectric project by Eversource Energy and HydroQuebec is the cheapest solution for building a 187-mile electric transmission corridor through the state but imposes the greatest environmental impacts, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Communities along the route would reap the least tax benefit from the Eversource proposal, compared to nine other options studied in the much-anticipated draft environmental impact statement released by the DOE on Tuesday.
Burying the transmission lines along the entire route would be the most expensive option — double the cost of the Eversource proposal — but would provide more tax dollars to communities, more jobs and the least environmental impact, the report states.
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