Hydro-Québec PROJECT OPTIMIZATION AND INFORMATION ON SOLUTION SELECTED Summer 2019 Appalaches–Maine Interconnection Line In spring 2018, Hydro-Québec began studies for the construction of a new interconnection between the Hydro-Québec and Maine power systems, the goal being to increase the energy transmission capacity between Québec and New England. The project consists of building a new 320-kilovolt (kV) direct current (DC) transmission line between Appalaches substation in Saint-Adrien-d’Irlande near Thetford Mines and a connection point at the Canada–U.S. border in the municipality of Frontenac. Project plans also call for the installation of a converter at Appalaches substation, which will convert alternating current to direct current to supply the new interconnection. Planned 320-kV Existing 120-kV DC line AC line 33 m to 51 31.1 m to 44.6 Height varying from: Consultation on the Technical characteristics Height varying from: proposed line route of the planned DC line Over the past months, Hydro-Québec has Hydro-Québec has developedAbout 29 a m new family of towers for held numerous meetings with community this project: Aboutthe conductors25 m are located45.7 on m one side only, representatives and many of the landowners thus reducingPlanned right-of-waythe width of the right-of-wayExisting right-of-way to be cleared. affected by the proposed line route to take • Each tower will be made up of a positive pole (+320 kV) their concerns into account and make and a negativeLigne pole jumelée (−320 kV). avec une ligne existante entre Stornoway et Nantes adjustments to the project, wherever possible. • Each pole will be equipped with two conductors. • The line will be supported by approximately 320 towers. Project optimization • The average distance between towers will be 325 m. As a result of these exchanges, the following The right-of-way to be cleared will be 43 m wide where modifications have been made to the project the line runs alone and 10 to 25 m wide where it is paired so far: with an existing line. • A family of tubular towers has been developed to allow for the integration of a 3.5-km segment of the new line near an urbanized area of the Planned 320-kV town of Thetford Mines. DC line • The route of the approximately 24-km segment of the new line in the Du Granit MRC has been relocated to protect woodlands or follow lot boundaries. • To the extent possible, the future tower sites have been determined in accordance with landowners’ requests, to avoid valued elements on their properties. 33 m to 51 • The line route has been adjusted to ensure Height varying from: the safe coexistence of the power line and the region’s extensive logging operations. • The commitment has been made to plant shrub species that are compatible with the About 21.5 m About 21.5 m future power line to limit the impact of land About 43 m clearing operations on certain properties. Planned right-of-way • The project schedule has been adjusted to 7578_bu_get_025_coupestypes_tr_4_5_181109a.ai take the sugar bush season into account. Ligne dans un nouveau couloir entrePower Nantes line in et a le new point corridor de traversée between Nantes and the crossing point Description of line route selected The line route selected is 103.4 km long and WorkLigne atd’interconnexion Appalaches substation des Appalaches–Maine crosses both the Appalaches MRC (40 km) The work at Appalaches substation will involve installing and Du Granit MRC (63.4 km), affecting eleven a new direct current converter and connecting it to the municipalities in all (see map). existing power grid. The future line will be paired with one or more The converter will comprise various types of electrical existing lines along 73% of its route. Starting equipment and two new buildings. The equipment will at Nantes, the planned line will run alone along be installed within the substation’s current boundaries. a new corridor for approximately 24 km to the Canada–U.S. border. The crossing point, where The converter will be connected to the 735-kV section the line will connect to the power system on of the substation. Installation of the new equipment the U.S. side, is located on private land northeast needed for the connection will require that the substation of Zec Louise Gosford in the municipality of be expanded on the east side within the boundaries of Frontenac. Hydro-Québec’s property. The expansion is estimated to cover an area of 227 m by 145 m. 2 71°30' 71°0' Sensitive elements Infrastructures#70°30' Protected area Wind farm Biological refuge Substations and transmission lines Scenic point # 120 kV Public land # # 230 kV Robert- Property of Domtar* # Cliche 735 kV CENTRE-DU- 73 Les Boundaries (MRC) QUÉBEC (17) EtcheminsProject components International border (MRC) Study area # PosteAdministrative de region Beauceville # Line route selected Regional county 269 # paired with existing line municipality (MRC) Beauceville Line route selected Municipality in new right-of-way Lac William Grouping of sensitive \¬ Crossing point # elements # # * The boundaries and measurements in this document should not be used for 165 # # Appalaches boundary demarcation.Saint-Georges No land analysis has been conducted by a land surveyor. L'Érable substation (MRC) ! # 271 Saint-Adrien-d'Irlande, M Thetford # Mines, V CHAUDIÈRES- APPALACHES (12) 108 Les Appalaches Saint-Joseph-de- 46°0' (MRC) Coleraine, M 46°0' # 173 269 # Disraeli, P # Grand lac Sainte- Saint-François ! Praxède, P 161 Parc national Disraeli, V de Frontenac Lac Beauce- Nicolet # Sartigan (MRC) Lac Aylmer Stratford, CT Le Granit (MRC) Saint- Lac Romain, M Les Sources Elgin (MRC) Zec de Lac Saint-Romain Louise Stornoway, M Rivière Chaudière # # 112 161 Sainte- Cécile-de- ESTRIE (05) Whitton, M 204 108 Nantes, M # Le Haut-Saint- Mégantic 214 ! François (MRC) substation Lac- Mégantic, V Frontenac, M Lac Lac aux \¬ Mégantic Araignées 45°30' # 45°30' # Ma i ne Zec Louise- Gosford 212 Québec United States New Hampshire 0 5,75. 11,5. km MTM, Zone 7, NAD83 (SCRS) 71°30' 71°0' 7578_bu_get_066_infodecision_190529a.mxd 70°30' Document for information purposes only. For any other use, please contact Géomatique at Hydro-Québec Innovation, équipement et services partagés. 3 Upcoming environmental and technical surveys Schedule Over the next few months, Hydro-Québec will Draft-design studies conduct environmental and technical field surveys Spring 2018–summer 2019 to prepare for land-clearing work and construction Permitting of the future power line: Summer 2019–fall 2020 • Geotechnical surveys related to siting of the future towers to determine the type of foundation to Construction Winter 2021–fall 2022 lay for each support structure. • Forest surveys on all properties affected to Commissioning determine the type and volume of timber to be Fall 2022 felled, the traffic strategy to be implemented and the mitigation measures to be applied during work near sensitive elements such as wetlands or watercourses. Permitting • Characterization of the watercourses over which Hydro-Québec is currently conducting an environmental impact temporary bridges may be installed. assessment for the project and will be filing various applications • Detailed inventories of wetlands affected by the for government approvals in the coming months. work areas for certain towers. The interconnection line will be subject to the provincial • Inventories of areas with archaeological potential environmental impact assessment and review procedure, which identified along the line route selected. includes a review by the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur All of the above preparatory work will be carried l’environnement [office for public hearings on the environment] out with the consent of the landowners affected, as well as an analysis by the National Energy Board, given that between fall 2019 and summer 2020. the power line will cross an international border. For more information hydro.quebec/appalaches-maine Appalaches MRC COLETTE LETTRE-RACINE Advisor – Community Relations Direction – Affaires régionales et collectivités [email protected] INFO-PROJECT line : 1 8 5 5 8 4 5-7 4 1 7 Du Granit MRC NADINE JEANNOTTE Advisor – Community Relations Direction – Affaires régionales et collectivités [email protected] INFO-PROJECT line : 1 8 7 7 6 5 3-1 1 3 9 Indigenous Communities PATRIC FRIGON Advisor – Indigenous Relations Direction – Relations avec les autochtones [email protected] 5 1 4 2 8 9-2 2 1 1, extension 8 7 9 0 Original text written in French. Appalaches substation in Saint-Adrien-D’Irlande Ce document est également publié en français. 2019E1443-A 100 %.