Quebec - New England Transmission
Encyclopedia
High-voltage direct current
A high-voltage, direct current electric power transmission system uses direct current for the bulk transmission of electrical power, in contrast with the more common alternating current systems. For long-distance transmission, HVDC systems may be less expensive and suffer lower electrical losses...
(HVDC) line between Radisson
Radisson, Quebec
Radisson is a small village situated near the Robert-Bourassa hydroelectric power station on the La Grande River in the James Bay region of Quebec...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Sandy Pond in Ayer
Ayer, Massachusetts
Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. In contrast to most other HVDC facilities, it is equipped with multiple static inverter stations.
History
Initially, the Quebec – New England Transmission consisted of the 172 km (107 mi) section between the Des CantonsEstrie
The Estrie is an administrative region of Quebec that overlaps mostly the Eastern Townships. Estrie, a French neologism, was coined as a derivative of est, "east."...
station near Windsor, Quebec
Windsor, Quebec
Windsor is a town of 5,300 people, part of the Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec, Canada, for which it is the seat....
and the Frank D. Comerford Dam
Frank D. Comerford Dam
Frank D Comerford Dam is an International Style concrete dam in the Fifteen Mile Falls of the Connecticut River, on the border between the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Vermont. The dam, located next to Monroe, New Hampshire, is named after Frank D. Comerford, who played an instrumental role in...
near Monroe, New Hampshire
Monroe, New Hampshire
Monroe is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 788 at the 2010 census. The town is located along a bend of the Connecticut River, across from Barnet, Vermont...
which, because of the asynchronous operation of the American and Québec power grids, had to be implemented as HVDC. This bipolar electricity transmission line is overhead for its whole length except the crossing of Saint Lawrence river, went into service in 1986. It could transfer a maximum power of 690 megawatts. The operating voltage was ±450kV or 900 kV from line to line.
The line was planned to extend beyond the two terminals at Des Cantons and Comerford to the hydroelectric power plants of the La Grande Complex
James Bay Project
The James Bay Project is a series of hydroelectric development with a combined installed capacity of over 16,000 megawatts built since 1974 for Hydro-Québec by the on the La Grande and other rivers of Northern Quebec....
, in the James Bay region of Québec, and to the high consumption area around Boston, Massachusetts. For this reason the line was extended by 1,100 kilometers to the north toward the static inverter plant
Static inverter plant
A static inverter station, also known as an HVDC Converter Station, is the terminal equipment for a high-voltage direct-current transmission line, in which direct current is converted to three-phase alternating current, and, usually, the reverse...
at Radisson Substation
Radisson Substation
Radisson Substation is a large electrical substation located near Radisson on the Route de la Baie James highway. The switching station, owned by Hydro-Québec, is the largest substation in its power grid, covering an area of 100 football fields...
and to the south to the static inverter plant at Sandy Pond
Ayer, Massachusetts
Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War...
in Massachusetts. The transmission power was increased by extending the existing static inverter stations to 2,000 megawatts. The value of the transmission voltage remained unchanged at ±450 kV. For the connection of the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
area, a further static inverter station at Nicolet
Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Nicolet-Yamaska is a Regional County Municipality in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec in Canada.The county seat is Nicolet.-Communities:*Cities and Towns** Nicolet*Municipalities** Aston-Jonction** Baie-du-Febvre** Grand-Saint-Esprit...
was put into service in 1992 with a transmission capacity of 2,000 megawatts.
The line crosses the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
between Grondines and Lotbinière
Lotbinière, Quebec
Lotbinière is a municipality in the Municipalité régionale de comté de Lotbinière in Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Chaudière-Appalaches region and the population is 909 as of 2009. It is named after seigneurie of which it was part...
via an underground tunnel
Saint Lawrence River HVDC Powerline Crossing
The Saint Lawrence River HVDC Powerline Crossing is the crossing of Hydro-Québec's Quebec-New England HVDC transmission line over the Saint Lawrence River between Grondines and Lotbinière, Quebec, Canada...
. Until the tunnel was built, the line crossed the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
via an overhead lattice tower
Lattice tower
A lattice tower or truss tower is a freestanding framework tower. They can be used as electricity pylons especially for voltages above 100 kilovolts, as a radio tower or as an observation tower....
electricity pylon
Electricity pylon
A transmission tower is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. They are used in high-voltage AC and DC systems, and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes...
-- portions of one of these towers would later be used as part of the observation tower at La Cité de l'Énergie
La Cité de l'Énergie
La Cite de l'Énergie is a theme park based on local industrial history and located in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada.-Facilities:*A science centre, which includes a high observation tower and features a multimedia show as well as a permanent interactive exhibit...
in Shawinigan.
Future expansion
In December 2008, Hydro-QuébecHydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
, along with American utilities Northeast Utilities
Northeast Utilities
Northeast Utilities is a publicly-traded, Fortune 500 energy company headquartered in Berlin, Connecticut, with several regulated subsidiaries offering retail electricity and natural gas service to more than 2.1 million customers in New England....
(parent company of Public Service of New Hampshire) and NSTAR
NSTAR
NSTAR is a utility company that provides retail electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in eastern and central Massachusetts, including the Boston urban area....
(parent company of Boston Edison), created a joint venture to build a new HVDC line from Windsor, Quebec
Windsor, Quebec
Windsor is a town of 5,300 people, part of the Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec, Canada, for which it is the seat....
to Deerfield, New Hampshire
Deerfield, New Hampshire
Deerfield is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,280 at the 2010 census. Deerfield is home to the annual Deerfield Fair.- History :...
, with an HVDC converter terminal built in Franklin, New Hampshire
Franklin, New Hampshire
The median income for a household in the city was $34,613, and the median income for a family was $41,698. Males had a median income of $32,318 versus $25,062 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,155...
. Hydro-Québec will own the segment within Quebec, while the segment within the US will be owned by Northern Pass Transmission LLC, a partnership between Northeast Utilities (75%) and NSTAR (25%). Estimated to cost US$1.1 billion to build, it is projected that the line will either run in existing right-of-way adjacent to the HVDC line that runs through New Hampshire, or it will connect to a right-of-way in northern New Hampshire that will run through the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
. This 180 mile line, projected to carry 1,200 megawatts, will bring electricity to approximately one million homes.
In order to go ahead, the project must receive regulatory approval in Quebec and the United States. The proposed transmission line could be in operation in 2015. According to Jim Robb, a senior executive from Northeast Utilities, New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
could meet one third of its Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is a regional initiative by states and provinces in the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada regions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions...
commitments with the hydropower coming through this new power line alone.
The purchase of power from Hydro-Québec was an issue during the Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2010
Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2010
The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic Governor Deval Patrick was re-elected to a second term. Also competing were the Republican Party nominee, businessman Charlie Baker; independent candidate and State Treasurer Tim Cahill; and...
.
In October 2010, Northeast Utilities announced that it would merge with NSTAR, with the resulting company retaining the Northeast Utilities name. The deal is subject to regulatory approval. In effect, Northern Pass Transmission would become a wholly owned subsidiary of Northeast Utilities.
Radisson to Des Cantons
| Site | Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Radisson, Quebec Radisson, Quebec Radisson is a small village situated near the Robert-Bourassa hydroelectric power station on the La Grande River in the James Bay region of Quebec... , Canada |
53°43′33"N 77°44′17"W |
| Saint-Maurice River Saint-Maurice River The Saint-Maurice River is a river in central Quebec which flows south from Gouin Reservoir to empty into the Saint Lawrence River at Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The river is 563 km in length and has a drainage basin of 43,300 km² .... , south of La Tuque, Quebec La Tuque, Quebec La Tuque is a city in south central Quebec, Canada, on the Saint-Maurice River, between Trois-Rivières and Chambord. In 2006, it had a population of 11,821 Latuquois.... |
|
| Northern Cable Terminal of Saint Lawrence River Saint Lawrence River The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin... Crossing, Grondines, Quebec, Canada |
46°37′32"N 72°00′51"W |
| Southern Cable Terminal of Saint Lawrence River Crossing, Lotbinière, Quebec Lotbinière, Quebec Lotbinière is a municipality in the Municipalité régionale de comté de Lotbinière in Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Chaudière-Appalaches region and the population is 909 as of 2009. It is named after seigneurie of which it was part... , Canada |
46°35′36"N 71°58′19"W |
| Nicolet station, Sainte-Eulalie, Quebec Sainte-Eulalie, Quebec Sainte-Eulalie is a municipality in the Nicolet-Yamaska RCM in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, Canada, situated at the crossroads of Autoroutes 55, 20 and 955... , Canada |
46°04′47"N 72°14′58"W |
| Des Cantons station, Windsor, Quebec Windsor, Quebec Windsor is a town of 5,300 people, part of the Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec, Canada, for which it is the seat.... , Canada |
45°33′44"N 71°57′01"W |
| Des Cantons Grounding Electrode Windsor, Quebec, Canada |
45°36′29"N 71°51′06"W |
Des Cantons to Ayer
| Site | Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Des Cantons station, Windsor, Quebec Windsor, Quebec Windsor is a town of 5,300 people, part of the Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec, Canada, for which it is the seat.... , Canada |
45°33′44"N 71°57′01"W |
| Des Cantons Grounding Electrode Windsor, Quebec, Canada |
45°36′29"N 71°51′06"W |
| Border crossing between USA and Canada (east of Stanhope, Quebec and Norton, Vermont) |
45°00′40"N 71°44′12"W |
| Moore Dam Moore Reservoir Moore Reservoir is an impoundment on the Connecticut River located in the communities of Littleton, New Hampshire; Dalton, New Hampshire; Waterford, Vermont; and Concord, Vermont. It occupies approximately . It was created by the completion of the Moore Dam in 1956, which caused the flooding of... / Connecticut River Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the... , Waterford, Vermont Waterford, Vermont Waterford is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,104 at the 2000 census.The town was originally called Littleton but the name was changed to Waterford in 1797.-Geography:... / Littleton, New Hampshire Littleton, New Hampshire Littleton is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,928 at the 2010 census. Situated at the edge of the White Mountains, Littleton is bounded on the northwest by the Connecticut River.... , USA |
|
| Frank D. Comerford Dam / Comerford Static Inverter Plant, Monroe, New Hampshire Monroe, New Hampshire Monroe is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 788 at the 2010 census. The town is located along a bend of the Connecticut River, across from Barnet, Vermont... , USA |
44°19′9"N 71°59′35"W |
| Merrimack River Merrimack River The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport... , East Merrimack East Merrimack, New Hampshire East Merrimack is a census-designated place in the town of Merrimack in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. There is no village center named "East Merrimack"; rather, the CDP refers to the region of the town of Merrimack lying east of the F. E. Everett Turnpike, overlapping portions... /Litchfield, New Hampshire Litchfield, New Hampshire - Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 7,360 people, 2,357 households, and 2,031 families residing in the town. The population density was 487.5 people per square mile . There were 2,389 housing units at an average density of 158.3 per square mile... , USA |
|
| New Hampshire / Massachusetts state line Hudson, New Hampshire Hudson, New Hampshire Hudson is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 24,467 at the 2010 census.The primary settlement in town, where 7,336 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Hudson census-designated place and is located at the junctions of New Hampshire... / Tyngsborough, Massachusetts Tyngsborough, Massachusetts Tyngsborough is a town located in the northwest section of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Composed of of land and surface water, Tyngsborough borders the towns of Dunstable, Groton, Westford, Chelmsford, Dracut, and the City of Lowell, as well as the New Hampshire communities of Hudson,... , USA |
|
| Ayer, Massachusetts Ayer, Massachusetts Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War... , USA |
42°34′13"N 71°31′27"W |
Des Cantons to Deerfield
Route listed here reflects the primary route, and is currently projected.| Site | Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Des Cantons station, Windsor, Quebec Windsor, Quebec Windsor is a town of 5,300 people, part of the Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec, Canada, for which it is the seat.... , Canada |
45°33′44"N 71°57′01"W |
| Des Cantons Grounding Electrode Windsor, Quebec, Canada |
45°36′29"N 71°51′06"W |
| Border crossing between USA and Canada / Connecticut River Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the... (west of Pittsburg, New Hampshire Pittsburg, New Hampshire Pittsburg is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 869 at the 2010 census. It is the northernmost town in New Hampshire and the largest town by area in the state - and in New England as well - more than twice the size of the next largest town, Lincoln. U.S... ) |
|
| Northumberland, New Hampshire Northumberland, New Hampshire Northumberland is a town located in southwestern Coos County, New Hampshire, U.S., north of Lancaster. It is part of the Berlin, NH–VT micropolitan statistical area... , USA |
|
| Whitefield, New Hampshire Whitefield, New Hampshire Whitefield is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA, in the White Mountains Region. The population was 2,306 at the 2010 census. Situated on the northern edge of the White Mountains, Whitefield is home to the Mount Washington Regional Airport and the White Mountains Regional High... , USA |
|
| North Woodstock, New Hampshire North Woodstock, New Hampshire North Woodstock is a census-designated place in the town of Woodstock in Grafton County, New Hampshire. It had a population of 528 at the 2010 census.... , USA |
|
| Beebe River Beebe River The Beebe River is a river located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pemigewasset River, part of the Merrimack River watershed.... , New Hampshire, USA |
|
| Ashland, New Hampshire Ashland, New Hampshire Ashland is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,076 at the 2010 census. Located near the geographical center of the state, Ashland is home to Scribner-Fellows State Forest.... , USA |
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| Pemigewasset River Pemigewasset River The Pemigewasset River , known locally as "The Pemi", is a river in the state of New Hampshire, the United States. It is in length and drains approximately... , New Hampshire, USA |
|
| Southern HVDC Converter Terminal, Franklin, New Hampshire Franklin, New Hampshire The median income for a household in the city was $34,613, and the median income for a family was $41,698. Males had a median income of $32,318 versus $25,062 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,155... , USA |
|
| Oak Hill, New Hampshire, USA | |
| Deerfield, New Hampshire Deerfield, New Hampshire Deerfield is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,280 at the 2010 census. Deerfield is home to the annual Deerfield Fair.- History :... , USA |
Hydro tower bombing
In 2004, shortly before U.S. President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's visit to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, a tower along the Quebec – New England Transmission circuit in the Eastern Townships near the Canada-U.S. border was damaged by explosive charges detonated at its base. The CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
reported that a message, purportedly from the Résistance internationaliste and issued to the La Presse and Le Journal de Montréal
Le Journal de Montréal
Le Journal de Montréal is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is the largest-circulation French-language newspaper in North America. Established by Pierre Péladeau in 1964, it is owned by the Sun Media division of Quebecor Media. It is also Canada's largest tabloid...
newspapers and CKAC radio, stated that the attack had been carried out to "denounce the 'pillaging' of Quebec's resources by the United States."
See also
- Hydro-QuébecHydro-QuébecHydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
- Hydro-Québec's electricity transmission systemHydro-Québec's electricity transmission systemHydro-Québec's electricity transmission system is an expansive, international power transmission system located in Quebec, Canada with extensions into the Northeastern United States...
- Saint Lawrence River HVDC Powerline CrossingSaint Lawrence River HVDC Powerline CrossingThe Saint Lawrence River HVDC Powerline Crossing is the crossing of Hydro-Québec's Quebec-New England HVDC transmission line over the Saint Lawrence River between Grondines and Lotbinière, Quebec, Canada...
- Champlain Hudson Power ExpressChamplain Hudson Power ExpressThe Champlain Hudson Power Express is a high-voltage direct current submarine power cable project linking the Montreal area to the New York City suburb of Yonkers...
External links
- The HVDC Transmission Québec - New England
- Pictures of the Quebec - New England line in New England
- Northern Pass Transmission
- Bonneville Power Administration: Quebec - New England Transmission (via Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
) - Bonneville Power Administration: Schematics of Quebec - New England Transmission system (via Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
)