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Mystic-Woburn Transmission Project Analysis to Support Petition Before the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board Volume I

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Mystic-Woburn Transmission Project Analysis to Support Petition Before the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board Volume I Mystic-Woburn Transmission Project Analysis to Support Petition before the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board Volume I PREPARED FOR: IN ASSOCIATION WITH: Environmental Services Div. May 2015 LIST OF ACRONYMS ACOE Army Corp of Engineers Regulatory Branch BMPs Best Management Practices CELT capacity, energy, loads, and transmission Chapter 91 The Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act, G.L. Chapter 91 DCR Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation D.P.U. Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities DPW Department of Public Works DR demand response EFSB Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board EMF electric and magnetic fields EOEEA Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs GIS geographic information system GHG greenhouse gas GWSA Global Warming Solutions Act HPFF high-pressure fluid-filled HPFF-PTC high-pressure fluid-filled pipe-type cable system ISO-NE Independent System Operator-New England kcmil A unit of area, equal to the area of a circle with a diameter of one mil (one thousandth of an inch) kV kilovolt LCOE Levelized Cost of Entry LTE Long-time emergency rating MassDEP Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection MassDOT Massachusetts Department of Transportation MassGIS Massachusetts Office of Geographic Information MBTA Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority M.G.L. Massachusetts General Law or G.L. MCP Massachusetts Contingency Plan MEPA Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act mG milligauss (or one-thousandth of 1 gauss) MHC Massachusetts Historical Commission MVA megavolt amperes MW megawatt MWPA Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NOI Notice of Intent OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration PSI pounds per square inch PVC polyvinyl chloride ROW right-of-way Siting Board Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board SRHP State Register of Historic Places SWPPP Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan STE Short-time emergency rating TMP traffic management plan URAM Utility Related Abatement Measure USEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency USGS U.S. Geological Survey TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 6 1.2 ANALYSIS OVERVIEW .................................................................................................... 9 1.3 GREATER BOSTON WORKING GROUP STUDIES ....................................................... 9 1.4 PROJECT NEED .................................................................................................................. 9 1.5 PROJECT APPROACH ALTERNATIVES ...................................................................... 10 1.6 PREFERRED ROUTE AND NOTICED ALTERNATIVE ROUTE ................................. 11 1.7 COMPARISON OF PREFERRED AND NOTICED ALTERNATIVE ROUTES ............ 11 1.8 CONSTRUCTION OVERVIEW ....................................................................................... 12 1.9 MUNICIPAL AND PUBLIC OUTREACH ....................................................................... 13 1.10 PROJECT SCHEDULE AND COST ................................................................................. 16 1.11 CONSTRUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS ............................................... 16 1.12 PROJECT TEAM ............................................................................................................... 16 1.13 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 18 2.0 GREATER BOSTON AREA TRANSMISSION STUDIES ........................................... 1 2.1 THE GREATER BOSTON STUDIES ................................................................................. 1 2.2 THE GREATER BOSTON AREA STUDY PROCESS ...................................................... 1 2.3 UPDATED NEEDS ASSESSMENT ................................................................................... 5 2.3.1 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 5 2.3.2 Sub-Areas .............................................................................................................................. 6 2.3.3 Updated Needs Assessment Assumptions ............................................................................ 7 2.3.4 Generation Dispatch Scenarios ............................................................................................. 8 2.3.5 Steady-State Results .............................................................................................................. 9 2.3.6 Updated Needs Assessment Summary ................................................................................ 12 2.4 SELECTION OF GREATER BOSTON PREFERRED SOLUTION ................................ 12 2.4.1 Objectives and Criteria ........................................................................................................ 13 2.4.2 Alternatives Considered ...................................................................................................... 13 2.4.3 Cost Comparison ................................................................................................................. 15 2.4.4 Other Criteria ...................................................................................................................... 16 3.0 PROJECT NEED ............................................................................................................... 1 3.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 3.2 DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING TRANSMISSION SYSTEM – SUB-AREA B ................................... 1 3.3 SUMMARY OF UPDATED NEEDS ASSESSMENT RESULTS FOR 211-514 LINE ........................ 2 3.3.1 Design Case Overloads ......................................................................................................... 3 3.3.2 Retirement Sensitivity Case Overloads ................................................................................. 3 3.4 YEAR OF NEED ...................................................................................................................... 4 3.5 SUMMARY OF MYSTIC-WOBURN LINE NEED ....................................................................... 4 4.0 PROJECT APPROACH ALTERNATIVES ................................................................... 1 4.1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 4.2 NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE ................................................................................................... 2 4.3 TRANSMISSION ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................ 2 4.3.1 Background ........................................................................................................................... 2 4.3.2 The Company’s Evaluation of Type 1 Transmission Alternatives ....................................... 3 4.3.3 Option A-3 and Option A-4 Cable Technology Comparison ............................................... 4 4.3.4 Comparison of Transmission Solution Alternatives ............................................................. 5 4.3.5 Transmission Alternatives Analysis Conclusion .................................................................. 6 4.4 NON-TRANSMISSION ALTERNATIVES ................................................................................... 7 Mystic-Woburn Transmission Project EFSB Analysis Report Section 1 – Overview PAGE 1-1 4.4.1 Methodology - Dispatch Optimization Analysis ................................................................... 8 4.4.2 Feasibility Assessment .......................................................................................................... 9 4.4.3 Development of Least-Cost NTAs ...................................................................................... 10 4.4.4 Costs .................................................................................................................................... 12 4.4.5 Non-Transmission Alternatives Analysis Conclusion ........................................................ 13 4.5 PROJECT APPROACH ALTERNATIVES CONCLUSION ........................................................... 14 5.0 ROUTE SELECTION PROCESS .................................................................................... 1 ______________________________________________________________________________ ....... 1 5.1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW .......................................................................................... 1 5.2 STUDY AREA AND INITIAL ROUTE CORRIDORS ................................................................... 2 5.2.1 Overview of Route Study Area ............................................................................................. 2 5.2.2 Initial Route Corridor Screening Guidelines ......................................................................... 2 5.2.3 Potential Initial Route Corridors ........................................................................................... 4 5.3 INITIAL ROUTE CORRIDOR IDENTIFICATION ........................................................................ 6 5.3.1 Route Corridor 1 - Parallel Existing 211/514 Transmission Line Route (Everett- Charlestown-Somerville-Medford-Winchester-Woburn)
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