If a new transmission line across the Canada-U.S. border was built by Hydro-Québec or by Emera, there would still be potential future benefit to Nalcor Energy, according to Nalcor president and CEO Stan Marshall.
“The way we see it, the more transmission lines there are going down south, the more opportunity we have. So we would encourage anybody who’s trying to build a transmission line to carry on, whether it’s Hydro Québec or Emera,” he told reporters Thursday evening.
Marshall took questions on the heels of a public talk at Memorial University of Newfoundland focused on Nalcor’s Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project.
Power generated by Nalcor was included as part of the proposed supply mix for the Emera-led Atlantic Link proposal — a suggested new power line into Massachusetts — in response to the state’s call for renewable energy for power distributors Eversource, National Grid and Unitil, to meet state targets for renewables by 2020.
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As reported, the Atlantic Link proposal involves building a 563-kilometre, 1,100-megawatt capacity underwater transmission line from New Brunswick to Plymouth, Mass. The project was ultimately beat out for the contract by Hydro-Québec’s Northern Pass proposal.
The Northern Pass project involves building a power line from Quebec and across New Hampshire. However, the Northern Pass has since hit a wall, given the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee denied the application by Eversource — Hydro-Québec’s U.S. partner — to build the new line.
Reports out of the U.S. say Eversource is expected to ask the committee to reconsider its decision, and potentially even appeal it if necessary to the state Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, a decision was expected Friday on whether or not Massachusetts might turn to one of the other proposals and proceed with another project.
The Atlantic Link is still not a given, with the pool of proposed projects for the state including, for example, TDI New England’s New England Clean Power Link (through Vermont), the proposed Granite State Power Link and other new power lines offering Canadian hydro and wind power, including power from Hydro-Québec.
Nalcor Energy did not make its own proposal, but offered a supply of energy as part of the larger Atlantic Link proposal by Emera.
“We’re not in the business of building transmission links through new England and those areas. It just provides us more opportunity. The more transmission lines, the more avenues you have to sell your power,” Marshall said of the participation in the pitch.
The focus for Nalcor Energy right now is on getting the Muskrat Falls project completed and bringing in power to Newfoundland and Labrador to offset the cost of burning fuel at the Holyrood Thermal Generating Station.
The Maritime Link — now connecting the island of Newfoundland with Nova Scotia — is into final testing. Marshall said the expectation is power would come in from Nova Scotia within the next week, saving an estimated $50,000 a week.
Marshall said, in looking ahead at power sales, Nalcor Energy is going to have to be opportunistic — selling power on peak and buying when others have excess available at a low price.
On exports, he said new cross-border transmission lines offer new opportunities in terms of where Nalcor Energy might be able to ship power now and again for an extra dollar.
“If Hydro Québec gets that line through and sells to Massachusetts, they can’t sell the same power twice” he said. “So if they’re selling the power in Massachusetts, they can’t sell in New York … so we’ll go to New York.”
