Warwick-to-Sterling Replacement Project

EFSB 23-02/D.P.U. 23-45: National Grid proposes to replace an existing double circuit transmission line, tap lines, and structures with a new double circuit overhead transmission line, tap lines, and structures in an existing transmission corridor in Warwick, Royalston, Athol, Winchendon, Gardner, Westminster, Fitchburg, Leominster, and Sterling, Massachusetts.

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Public Comment Hearings

The Siting Board conducted three public comment hearings with both in person and remote participation options:

Wednesday April 10, 2024, at 1:00 PM
Athol Public Library Program Room
568 Main Street
Athol, MA 01331

Wednesday April 10, 2024, at 6:30 PM
Mount Wachusett Community College
North Cafeteria
444 Green Street
Gardner, MA 01440

Thursday April 11, 2024, at 6:30 PM
Fitchburg State University Lecture Hall
160 Pearl Street
Fitchburg MA 01420

Written Comments 

The Siting Board also invited written comments on the Project.  Written comments will be most useful to the Siting Board if submitted by Friday April 26.

Recording

A recording of the public comment hearing will be available on the Department’s YouTube channel after the hearing. 

Important Dates:
Public Comment Hearings	April 10 & 11, 2024
Deadline to File Written Comments	April 26, 2024
Deadline to file for intervention/limited participant status	April 26, 2024

Filing Instructions

Written comments on the Project, or a petition to intervene or participate as a limited participant in this proceeding, must be filed in two places: 

First, the comments or petition must be sent to the Siting Board by email - to [e-mail] - AND to [e-mail] - no later than the close of business on April 26, 2024.  The text of the e-mail must specify: (1) the docket number of the proceeding (EFSB 23-02/D.P.U. 23‑45); (2) the name of the person or entity submitting the filing; and (3) a brief description of the document.  The email should also include the name, title, and telephone number of a person to contact in the event of questions about the filing.  

Second, the comments or petition must be sent by email to counsel for the Company, Catherine J. Keuthen, Esq. at [e-mail] and David Waterfall, Esq. at [e-mail].   

Intervention and Participation

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 also be filed no later than April 26, 2024, and follow the instructions provided below.

“Intervenor" or “Party” Status:  An intervenor can participate fully in the evidentiary phase of the proceeding, including the right to participate in evidentiary hearings, file a brief and present comments to the Siting Board on the Tentative Decision, and to appeal a Final Decision.

“Limited Participant” Status:  A limited participant receives documents during the proceeding and may file a brief and present comments regarding the Tentative Decision to the Siting Board.

Any person seeking intervenor or limited participant status in this proceeding must file April 26, 2024.  A petition to intervene must demonstrate that the petitioner may be substantially and specifically affected by this proceeding.  See below for filing instructions.  For more information on the Siting Board’s procedural rules, please see the following link: https://www.mass.gov/doc/980-cmr-105/download.

Project Description

The Company manages a transmission corridor (“ROW”) containing existing transmission lines (officially known as the A1 and B2 transmission lines) that extends about 53 miles, beginning in Vernon, Vermont, then running through a small part of New Hampshire and into Warwick, Massachusetts.  The ROW then continues through Royalston, Winchendon, Gardner, Westminster, Fitchburg, Leominster, and terminates at the Pratts Junction Substation, in Sterling Massachusetts.  For the Massachusetts part of the ROW (about 47 miles long), the Company proposes to replace the lines and transmission structures that are holding up the lines (“Replacement Transmission Line”).  The Company also proposes to replace two smaller transmission lines and associated structures that feed into the corridor: (1) a line beginning in Athol that connects to the corridor in neighboring Royalston; and (2) a line beginning and connecting in Gardner (“Replacement Taps”).  Once the Replacement Transmission Line, Replacement Taps, and structures are constructed (collectively “Replacement Line”), National Grid will remove the old lines and structures.  Examples of the existing structures and their replacements are available at: https://fileservice.eea.comacloud.net/FileService.Api/file/FileRoom/17423325

The Company maintains that the Project is needed so that the Company can continue to: (1) meet regional demands for a reliable supply of electricity; and (2) support connection of increasing amounts of renewable energy in central and western Massachusetts, consistent with the Commonwealth’s and region’s carbon reduction targets.  The Company asserts that the existing lines, originally built in 1909, are nearing the end of their lifespan, resulting in greater risk of service loss and power outages. 

Decision on the Project Proposal 

The public comment hearing marks the beginning of an official, state-level decision-making process focused on whether the Project should be approved.  The Siting Board will make the decision based on the following laws: 

1. Under G.L. (Massachusetts General Law) c.(chapter) 164, § (section) 69J, the Siting Board will review the Company’s proposed Project to determine whether the Project will provide a reliable energy supply with a minimum impact on the environment at the lowest possible cost.
2. Under G.L. c. 164, § 72, the Siting Board will determine whether the proposed Project is necessary, serves the public convenience, and is consistent with the public interest.

Public Review of the Company’s Petition

The Company also maintains a webpage for the Project: https://www.newenglanda1b2.com/.   

Hard copies of the Company’s petitions, including all attachments, are available for public inspection at the following locations:

Boston

• Energy Facilities Siting Board, One South Station, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02110

Municipalities Directly Impacted

• Municipal/Clerk offices and main public libraries in Warwick, Royalston, Athol, Winchendon, Gardner, Westminster, Fitchburg, Leominster, and Sterling

Warwick:	Athol:	Gardner:
Clerk Office	Clerk Office	Clerk Office
12 Athol Rd Warwick, MA 01378	584 Main St Ste 10 Athol, MA 0133	95 Pleasant St Rm 121 Gardner, MA 01440
Library	Library	Library
4 Hotel Rd Warwick, MA 01378	568 Main St Athol, MA 01331	55 W Lynde St Gardner, MA 01440

Royalston:	Winchendon:	Westminster:
Clerk Office	Clerk Office	Clerk Office
5 School St Royalston, MA 01368	109 Front St Ste 3 Winchendon, MA 01475	11 South Street Westminster, MA 01473
Library	Library	Library
19 On The Cmn. Royalston, MA 01368	50 Pleasant St Winchendon, MA 01475	118 Main St Westminster, MA 01473

Fitchburg:	Leominster:	Sterling:
Clerk Office	Clerk Office	Clerk Office
166 Boulder Dr, Ste 108 Fitchburg, MA 01420	25 W Street Room 5 Leominster, MA 01453	1 Park St Sterling, MA 01564
Library	Library	Library
610 Main St Fitchburg, MA 01420	30 West St Leominster, MA 01453	4 Meetinghouse Hill Rd Sterling, MA 01564

Contact

For further information about the proceeding, please contact the Presiding Officer at the address or telephone number below:

Connor C. Tarr, Presiding Officer
Energy Facilities Siting Board
One South Station
Boston, MA 02110
[e-mail]
[phone]

Accommodation Requests

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities (e.g., Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format) 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 contact the Department’s ADA coordinator at [e-mail].

Non-discrimination Notice

The EFSB does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, income, ethnicity, class, handicap, religious creed or belief, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, English language proficiency or ancestry in administration of its programs or activities.  See the EFSB’s Non-Discrimination Notice at: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/efsb-non-discrimination-notice.

Useful Information

DPU Public Workshop: Solar and Distributed Generation in Massachusetts

Electric Sector Modernization Plan Resources

EFSB and DPU Siting Process

For more detailed information on the Siting process:  Energy Facilities Siting Board Handbook (updated 2019) | Guía para fijar la ubicación de instalaciones energéticas (2019)

Energy facility siting laws and regulations listing

Siting Related Links