NSTAR TRANSMISSION RELIABILITY PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS COUNCIL UPDATE

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NSTARTRANSMISSION RELIABILITY
PROJECTENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS COUNCIL UPDATE
APRIL 21, 2005
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PROJECT NEED DRIVEN BY INCREASING GROWTH WITH
DECLINING GENERATION

• Load Growth over Past 6 Years Exceeded Historic
  Average In Greater Boston Area Communities
• Area Older Some Newer Generation Stations Have
  Retired or Announced Plans to Retire
• By June 2006, System Overloads Are Experienced
  throughout the System without Relief
• Overloads Get Worse with Time, Lead to Outages

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GOAL WAS TO FIND MOST COST-EFFECTIVE
ALTERNATIVE TO MINIMIZE IMPACT ON NATURAL HUMAN
ENVIRONMENT

• Type of Transmission LineUnderground
• Cable TechnologyPipe-Type Cable, Over 200 miles
  in Greater Boston Area
• Route Selected to be Most Direct with Least
  Impact to People Environment
• Construction Impact Tried to Minimize
  Interferences

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FINAL DESIGN

• Three 345 kV Underground Transmission Lines
  Located in One Trench Up to Route Split
• Pipe-type Cable, Proven Reliable Technology at
  345 kV
• New Switchyard at Origin-Stoughton
• Expand Two Termination Substations-Hyde Park K
  Street
• Heat Exchangers at Baker Street Hyde Park
  Substations (Reverse Power Flow to W. Roxbury to
  Reinforce Area)

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SUMMARY OF BENEFITS

• Increases Import Capability into Greater Boston
  Surrounding Communities by 1200-1800MW
• Mitigates All Known Reliability Issues for More
  than 10 Years
• Reduces Dependence on Older Local Generation
  Stations that Plan to Retire
• Opens Corridor for Economic Generating Sources
  from SEMA/RI into Greater Boston Area

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PROJECT SCHEDULE OVERVIEW
Mar 2004
Planning Design
Apr 2005
Permitting Engineering
Jun 2006
Station Construction
Feb 2006
Street Construction
June 2006 In-Service

Install Splice Cable
Dec 2007 In-Service
Phase 1
Install Splice Cable
Phase 2
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PROJECT STATUS

• Major Permits Secured-MEPA, Siting Board, Con
  Coms
• Most Follow-on Permits Completed, Some Still in
  Process
• Chapter 91 License for K Street Station-DEP
• Stoughton Conservation Commission Appeal to DEP
• MOUs with Boston, Towns, DCR bound Mitigation
  Risk, Define Extended Works Hours
• ISO-NE System Technical Issues Resolved (System
  Switching)
• Major Equipment, Property, and Easements
  Acquisition Complete

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PROJECT STATUS

• Major Equipment Purchases Complete ISO
  Administered RFPs for high dollar items including
  Pipe-type cable and GIS Equipment
• NSTAR/ISO issued Construction Contract RFP in Nov
  2004
• Bid as Single GC for Entire Project or Separately
  for Lines Stations
• Transmission Line Contract Awarded Station
  Contract in Final Negotiation

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PERMITING PROCESS WAS INTENSE

• EENF Filed 12/15/03 EFSB Petition Filed 1/16/04
• MEPA Public Meetings Feb 04 EFSB Public Meetings
  Mar 04
• NSTAR met with Boston Supplemented EFSB
  Petition with Additional Route Alternatives Mar
  04
• Additional EFSB Public Meeting on New
  Alternatives April 04
• 2 EFSB Interveners FiledISO-NE City of Boston
• Siting Board Discovery followed by Intervener
  Discovery May 04
• Submitted Single EIR to MEPA May 04
• Unrest in Stoughton Led to Selectmens Meeting
  May 04
• Stoughton Filed as Late EFSB Intervener June 04
  Hired Counsel
• EFSB Accepted Stoughton as Intervener Stoughton
  Discovery Jul 04
• Received MEPA Certificate July 16, 2004
• EFSB Hearings began late July 04

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PERMITING CONTINUED ON

• EFSB Hearings Covered Each Section of Petition in
  Order
• Initial Cross-Examination by Boston Stoughton
  Tapered Off as Hearings Progressed
• NSTAR worked with Stoughton Counsel to Negotiate
  Agreement
• Town Selectmen Rejected Proposed Agreement
• NSTAR Testimony Concluded in Late Aug 04
• Stoughton Presented Direct Case with
  Witnesses-Technical Environmental
• Second Proposed Agreement with Town Approved
  Stoughton withdrew from Proceedings
• Hearings Concluded Sept 04
• Con Com Petitions filed Oct 04
• Con Com Orders Received Dec 04 except Stoughton
  Jan 05
• EFSB Tentative Decision Dec 04 Final Jan 14, 2005

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NEXT STEPS

• Final Permits/Licenses needed to Complete DEP
  is lengthy resource limited
• Construction Contract in Place Shovels in the
  Ground
• Community Relations Plan Developed, Ready for
  Implementation
• Environmental Plan Ready for Implementation
• Target Completion June 2006