The U.S. Department of Energy said it plans to reveal by the end of this year possible routes for the Northern Pass electrical transmission project that would provide a conduit for Canadian hydropower to reach New England.
The Associated Press reported that the department said it is now reviewing about 7,500 public comments for the $1.4 billion power transmission proposal by Northeast Utilities that would carry 1,200 megawatts from Canada to southeastern New Hampshire.
Opponents of the project have argued that the 186-mile transmission line would mar the landscape in the White Mountains, prompting the DOE to begin work on its report of alternative routes as part of a draft Environmental Impact Study due late this year.