Board Meeting – January 3, 2023, 1 p.m.
The Energy Facilities Siting Board conducted a remote Board Meeting using Zoom Videoconferencing on January 3, 2023. The agenda related to this meeting is available at: English and Spanish. Recordings of the Siting Board meeting in English and Spanish will be posted to the Department’s YouTube channel after the meeting at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCklPj6xxSKww-Kr26lEZVTA/videos. Transcripts of the meeting in English and Spanish will also be posted to the DPU Fileroom at the following link after the meeting: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/DPU/Fileroom/dockets/bynumber/EFSB22-01.
Board Meeting – November 29, 2022
The Siting Board conducted a remote Siting Board meeting using Zoom videoconferencing on November 29, 2022. The purpose of the Siting Board meeting was to listen to comments, deliberate, and vote on whether to approve, approve with conditions or amendments, or reject a Tentative Decision issued by the Siting Board on November 9, 2022. The Siting Board issued its final decision in this proceeding on November 30, 2022. The Final Decision can be found at the following link: English | Spanish.
Recordings of the Siting Board meeting in English and Spanish will be posted to the Department’s YouTube channel after the meeting at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCklPj6xxSKww-Kr26lEZVTA/videos. Transcripts of the meeting in English and Spanish will also be posted to the DPU Fileroom at the following link after the meeting: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/DPU/Fileroom/dockets/bynumber/EFSB22-01.
The Final Decision is preceded by the Tentative Decision, which the Board deliberated on during the Board meeting. The Tentative Decision is available in: English | Spanish. The amendment sheet issued by Siting Board staff for the Tentative Decision is available in: English | Spanish.
The full notice is available in: English | Spanish | Portuguese | Arabic.
The agenda related to this meeting is available in: English and Spanish.
Written comments received on the Tentative Decision are available at the Fileroom and below:
Boston Residents Group Comments (November 18, 2022)
CLF and GreenRoots Comments (November 18, 2022)
Eversource Comments (November 18, 2022)
Climate Code Blue Comments (November 28, 2022)
Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility Comments (November 28, 2022)
Elena Fagotto Comments (November 28, 2022)
Union of Concerned Scientists Comments (November 28, 2022)
Gail C. Miller Comments (November 28, 2022)
John Antonellis Comments (November 28, 2022)
Bella Morelli Comments (November 28, 2022)
Valinda Chan Comments (November 28, 2022)
Jessica Karch Comments (November 28, 2022)
Karry Muzzey Comments (November 28, 2022)
Audrina Warren Comments (November 29, 2022)
Sonja Tengblad Comments (November 29, 2022)
Sharon deVos Comments (November 29, 2022)
Alternatives for Community and Environment Comments (November 30, 2022)
Evidentiary Hearings
The Siting Board concluded evidentiary hearings for this proceeding, EFSB 22-01, Eversource Energy Certificate, on June 27, 2022. The remainder of the procedural schedule is posted below in the “Important Dates” section.
Recordings and Transcripts of Hearings
Recordings of the hearings are posted on the Siting Board/Department YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCklPj6xxSKww-Kr26lEZVTA and below.
May 17, 2022: English recording | Spanish recording
June 13, 2022: English recording | Spanish recording
June 15, 2022: English recording | Spanish recording
June 17, 2022: English recording | Spanish recording
June 21, 2022: English recording | Spanish recording
June 22, 2022: English recording | Spanish recording
June 23, 2022: English recording | Spanish recording
June 27, 2022: English recording | Spanish recording (TBA)
The transcripts of the hearings will also be posted to the DPU Fileroom two weeks after each hearing date (Under Document Type: Transcripts).
Public Comment
The Siting Board conducted a remote public comment hearing regarding the Project using Zoom videoconferencing on Wednesday, March 30, 2022.
Recordings of Hearing
Recordings of the public comment hearing have been posted to the Department’s YouTube channel and below.
English recording | Spanish recording
The transcripts of the public comment have been posted to the DPU Fileroom and below.
English transcript | Spanish transcript
Written Comments
The Siting Board accepts written comments on the Project. Written comments will be most useful to the Siting Board if submitted by Tuesday, April 19, 2022.
Participation in Proceedings
Persons or groups who wish to be involved in the Siting Board proceeding beyond providing comments at the public comment hearing or submitting written comments may seek either to intervene as a party or to participate as a limited participant. A petition to intervene or participate must have been filed with the Siting Board in electronic format, by email or email attachment, to dpu.efiling@mass.gov and to donna.sharkey@mass.gov no later than the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.
Please visit the link below to learn more.
File a petition to intervene in an EFSB or DPU Siting case | Mass.gov
A copy of the full notice in the languages below can be accessed at the following links:
English | Spanish | Portuguese | Arabic.
Project Information
Eversource Initial Petition and Application
Eversource has requested that the Siting Board grant certain state and local permits necessary to construct and operate a new East Boston Substation (“Substation” or “Project”). The Company asserts that, the processing and granting of the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Approval and the City of Boston PIC Approvals have been unduly delayed and unreasonably conditioned. As of the date of this Notice, Eversource has not yet obtained in final and non-appealable form the requisite 15 permits and approvals listed above. Consequently, Eversource has requested that, pursuant to G.L. c. 164, §§ 69K-69O, the Siting Board issue the Certificate in the form of a composite of all permits, approvals and authorizations that would otherwise be necessary for the construction of the Substation and the operation of the Project in Boston and Chelsea. Eversource does not request that the Certificate include final, non-appealable permits, approvals, or authorizations that have been previously issued.
Siting Board Involvement in Certificate Case
In this adjudication, the Siting Board will review Eversource’s Initial Petition and Application, which were filed together on February 16, 2022. On February 23, 2022, the Chair of the Siting Board issued a Determination providing that the Siting Board would: (1) accept Eversource’s Initial Petition for a Certificate; (2) consolidate Eversource’s Initial Petition with its Application; (3) defer a decision on the merits of the Initial Petition; and (4) adjudicate Eversource’s Initial Petition and Application concurrently.
Please visit the link below to learn more.
Energy facility siting laws and regulations | Mass.gov
Important Dates
The latest full procedural schedule for this proceeding can be accessed at the following links: English | Spanish.
March 28, 2022: Siting Board Issued Preliminary Discovery Questions to Eversource
March 30, 2022: Siting Board held a Public Comment Hearing
April 19, 2022: Deadline to Petition to be Intervenor or Limited Participant/Deadline for Written Comments
May 6, 2022: Siting Board Issues Ruling on Intervention or Limited Participant Petitions
May 13, 2022: Deadline for Permitting Agencies to Respond to First Information Requests
May 13, 2022: Deadline for Intervenors to Indicate Whether They Will Offer Witnesses
May 17, 2022: Siting Board Remote Evidentiary Hearing
March 27, 2022: Parties issue IRs on Intervenor Pre-Filed Testimony
June 10, 2022: Deadline for Intervenors to Respond to Information Requestions
June 13 through June 27, 2022: Siting Board Continues Remote Evidentiary Hearings
July 22, 2022: Deadline for Initial Briefs
August 5, 2022: Deadline for Final Briefs
November 9, 2022: Siting Board Issues Tentative Decision (TD)
November 18, 2022: Deadline for Parties to Comment on TD
November 28, 2022: Deadline for Public to Comment on TD
November 29, 2022: Siting Board Conducts Board Meeting to Deliberate on TD
November 30, 2022: Siting Board Issues Final Decision
Description of Project
The Substation will include two bays of 115 kilovolt (“kV”) gas-insulated switchgear with six 115 kV circuit breakers; a control enclosure; two 62.5 megavolt-ampere (“MVA”), 115/14 kV transformers; distribution switchgear; and capacitor banks. Construction activities will include the installation of footings, foundations, an underground electric raceway, grounding, lighting, combinations of concrete wall and fiberglass fencing, miscellaneous associated protective relaying, metering, control wiring, and related equipment, and isolation/fire barriers and oil spill containment systems for each of the transformers.
In addition to the Substation, the Project includes the connection to the two 115‑ kV transmission lines that were approved by the Siting Board in Eversource 2017: (1) an approximately 3.2-mile line from the Company’s Mystic Substation in Everett to the Substation; and (2) an approximately 1.5-mile line from the Substation to the Company’s Chelsea Substation in Chelsea. Currently, the two lines have been constructed on the Chelsea side of the Chelsea Creek and were placed in operation on September 17, 2020, connecting the Company’s Mystic and Chelsea Substations. Once the Substation is operational, the Company would install the two lines beneath the Chelsea Creek in an existing conduit and interconnect with the Substation, as anticipated in both Eversource 2017 and Eversource 2021, thereby bringing transmission capability to East Boston. The Company would also install 7,000 feet (1.3 miles) of new distribution line duct banks and 17 manholes under Condor Street, East Eagle Street, Glendon Street, Lexington Street, Shelby Street and Chelsea Street, for a new 3.6-mile distribution network connected to the Substation.
See Eversource 2017 and Eversource 2021 for previous descriptions of the Project.
Figure 1. Substation Site Overview
A larger version of this figure is available at the following link: https://www.mass.gov/doc/east-eagle-update-substation-map/download.
Figure 2: Potential Substation Façade Design Proposed for Community Input
Note: This is a preliminary design concept only. The final design will be chosen by the Company in collaboration with the community and the Boston Planning & Development Agency and may vary.
Figure 3: Project Overview Map
A larger version of this figure is available at the following link: https://www.mass.gov/doc/east-eagle-locus-map/download.
Certificate Filing with EFSB
- Company’s Presentation at Public Comment Hearing
- East Eagle Certificate Petition
- East Eagle Certificate Application
- Photographs of Proposed Site
All documents related filed in relation to a proceeding are posted to the DPU Fileroom. The Fileroom page for a proceeding represents the official record for that proceeding. The public can access the Fileroom page for this proceeding at the following link:
Language Services/Accommodations
The EFSB has standardized procedures for requesting special accommodations in a proceeding. Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Include a complete description of the accommodation you will need and a way we can contact you if we need more information. Please provide as much advance notice as possible. Last minute requests will be accepted, but we may be unable to fulfill the request. Please send your requests to: Melixza G. Esenyie, ADA and Diversity Manager at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs at Melixza.Esenyie2@mass.gov or call 617-626-1282.
Interpretation services for those with limited English language proficiency are available upon request. Include in your request the language required, and a way to contact you if the Presiding Officer needs more information. Please provide as much advance notice as possible. Last minute requests may not be able to be accommodated. Contact the Presiding Officer (contact information below).
Contact
Any person desiring further information regarding this proceeding, including information regarding intervention or participation in the adjudicatory proceeding, may contact the Presiding Officer at the following telephone number or email address:
Donna Sharkey, Presiding Officer
Energy Facilities Siting Board
One South Station
Boston, MA 02110
617 305-3625
donna.sharkey@mass.gov
Useful Information
For more detailed information on the Siting process: Energy Facilities Siting Board Handbook (updated 2019) | Guía para fijar la ubicación de instalaciones energéticas (2019)