Berkshire Eagle

Eversource and Berkshire Regional Planning Commission say the U.S. Department of Energy’s plan to strengthen the so-called “brittle seam” corridor that connects New York’s and New England’s power supplies through Berkshire County is needed, but it doesn’t have to be as wide as it says.

Thomas Matuszko, executive director of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, wants the Department of Energy to explain why it says the power transmission improvement project would need a wider right of way than currently exists: The federal agency’s plan allows for up to a half-mile on either side of the existing overhead transmission lines. He’s advising the right of way corridor should be kept as narrow as possible.

The Department of Energy calls it a “starting point.”

Meanwhile, Eversource, the electric utility that would carry out the project, is indicating that the DOE’s call for a mile-wide right of way is unnecessary. The utility told the Energy Department that it doesn’t need that room to upgrade the transmission system.

This aspect of the Department of Energy’s proposal is not final and might be considered an envelope rather than a defined route. Still, it is worrisome for the potential public alarm and concern it could create. So Eversource and the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission are advising the Department of Energy to narrow it and eliminate any cause for alarm.

Full article HERE.