Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the New England Power Order Of Conditions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Conservation commission issues order of conditions for New England Power transmission-line work with added monitoring and communication
Summary
After reviewing proposed language recognizing utility scheduling constraints, the Conservation Commission voted to issue an order of conditions for New England Power’s transmission‑line work, adding monitoring requirements, precipitation‑triggered inspections and two‑month look‑ahead reporting during November–March.
The Westford Conservation Commission voted June 24 to issue an order of conditions for maintenance and construction work in the K137E/L138E/337 transmission-line right‑of‑way, accepting language that acknowledges the operational constraints of energized utility work and requires greater monitoring and communication.
Allison Miller of BSC Group told the commission the applicant included findings that reflect the special nature of utility outages — which are scheduled through ISO New England and cannot be easily rescheduled — and proposed conditions to reduce the likelihood of work stoppages while adding transparency. “We included some language in the findings which identifies why this is a unique sort of project,” Miller said, adding that qualified monitors will be on site at least weekly and after precipitation events of 0.25 inches or more.
Commission discussion focused on how look‑ahead reporting and periodic progress reports should be scheduled and the limits of the commission’s ability to halt work driven by system‑level outages. Commissioners clarified that condition 58 will require increased communication and more frequent reporting between Nov. 1 and March 31, while condition 42 will continue to address the remainder of the year with monthly progress reports.
The commission moved to accept the suggested language displayed on screen, the motion was seconded, and the membership approved the order of conditions. The commission then voted to close the public hearing.
What this means: the order creates an administrative framework requiring the applicant to provide a two‑month look‑ahead schedule and monthly reporting, plus special winter‑season reporting and monitoring intended to reduce ecological impacts while recognizing limited flexibility for outages.
Next steps: staff will incorporate the adopted findings and conditions into the final order and notify the applicant of the reporting expectations and monitoring schedule.
