Notice of Opportunity to Intervene, New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC)

On October 13, 2017, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (“Department”) accepted as complete for processing an application by the Central Maine Power Company (“CMP”) for a Site Location of Development Act permit and Natural Resources Protection Act permit for the construction of the New England Clean Energy Connect (“NECEC”), an electric transmission line from the border with Quebec in Beattie Township to a new converter station in Lewiston, Maine. The project also includes several upgrades to CMP’s existing electrical transmission network between Lewiston and Pownal, Windsor and Wiscasset and in Cumberland. Approximately 73% of the 147-mile transmission line will be built within CMP’s existing transmission corridor. The remainder of the line will be built in an undeveloped corridor owned by CMP through working forestland in western Somerset and Franklin counties. The NECEC project will be capable of delivering up to 1,200 megawatts of renewable energy to the New England power grid. The transmission line will run through, or the upgrades will affect, the following organized towns and unorganized areas: Alna, Anson, Appleton Township, Auburn, Bald Mountain Township, Beattie Township, Bradstreet Township, Caratunk, Chesterville, Concord Township, Cumberland, Durham, Embden, Farmington, Greene, Hobbstown Township, Industry, Jay, Johnson Mountain Township, Leeds, Lewiston, Livermore Falls, Lowelltown Township, Merrill Strip Township, Moscow, Moxie Gore, New Gloucester, New Sharon, Parlin Pond Township, Pownal, Skinner Township, Starks, The Forks Plantation, T5 R7 BKP WKR, West Forks Plantation, Whitefield, Wilton, Windsor, Wiscasset, and Woolwich. Relevant project material can be found on the Department’s website at: http://www.maine.gov/dep/land/projects/necec/index.html

On November 17, 2017, the Commissioner determined that the Department will hold a public hearing on these applications.  The Commissioner delegated to Christina Hodgeman, the Policy Director for the Department, the authority to be Presiding Officer for purposes of carrying out the hearing.  Notice of the hearing date, time and location will be published at a later date in accordance with the requirements of the Maine Administrative Procedure Act and Department rules. 

At this time, any person desiring to participate as a party to the proceeding must file a written petition for leave to intervene. As set forth in Chapter 3§11(A) of the Department’s rules, the petition for leave to intervene must show that the petitioner is a person who is or may be substantially and directly affected by the proposed project, or that the petitioner is an agency of federal, state or local government.  Petitioners for intervenor status should state reasonably specific contentions regarding the subject matter of the hearing and be prepared and capable of participation in the hearing in order to support such contentions.

Persons granted intervenor status will have the right to offer testimony and evidence, may cross-examine other parties, and will have the responsibility to attend pre-hearing conferences and abide by all procedural orders.  Intervenors and the applicant will be required to file testimony they wish to present in written form prior to the hearing for review by the Department and other parties in advance of the hearing. Oral summaries of the testimony and cross-examination will take place at the hearing.

Members of the public who wish to provide written comments to the Department about the application, or simply wish to testify at the public hearing, do not need to petition to intervene.  A portion of the public hearing will be reserved for the purpose of receiving testimony from the general public.  The Department will also accept written comments from the public.  Members of the public who wish to receive notices related to the public hearing may ask to be put on an “interested persons” list, without the need to intervene.

Written petitions for leave to intervene must be received by the Department on or before Thursday, July 19, 2018 at 5:00 pm.  A petition for intervenor status that is filed after this date may be granted if good cause is shown and determined by the Presiding Officer. If the applicant’s proposal changes or if the application is supplemented with significant additional information, this may constitute good cause for a late petition for intervenor status. Petitions should be directed to:

• By mail – Jim Beyer, Bureau of Land Resources
  Maine Department of Environmental Protection
  106 Hogan Road Suite 6
  Bangor, Maine 04401
  
  
• Electronically – NECEC.DEP@maine.gov
  
  
• By hand – Jim Beyer, Bureau of Land Resources
  Maine Department of Environmental Protection
  106 Hogan Road Suite 6
  Bangor, Maine 04401

Petitions for leave to intervene must be written and the final page must be dated and signed.  All petitions must be received by the date and time set forth above at least electronically.  If a petition is filed electronically, a signed paper version must be mailed to the Department, at the mailing address set forth above, so that the document is received by the Department within five working days of the deadline.

Questions regarding petitions to intervene may be directed to Jim Beyer at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Eastern Maine Regional Office, 106 Hogan Road Suite 6, Bangor, Maine 04401, or at (207) 446-9026.