We at Progressive Action NH believe the way of life for New Hampshire, the economic lifeblood of the North Country region, and the health and welfare of the public and the White Mountain area and beyond are threatened by Northern Pass.. Even small power companies oppose the project.
Public Service of New Hampshire, it’s parent Northeast Utilities, and Hydro-Quebec, the companies involved in this project attempt to sell the public on the lie New Hampshire will share in the power transmitted along the lines. However, the entire state is no more than a conduit route for feeding power to the high demand regions of Boston, MA and Hartford, CT, and potentially New York City. This article from a southern New Hampshire news paper sums up the points very well.
We also believe Northern Pass represents the latest in a long line of intrusions on and to the destruction of our natural landscape and resources, life that depends on it, not only by Hydro-Quebec in Canada, but also by all corporations that rely on the extraction or use of natural resources as a means for profit.
We believe through direct action and education residents of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York will become aware of the threat to their livelihoods and the environment that sustains us all. We know we the people can stop the pillaging our natural resources for the profit of a few if we come together. In this instance and in many others (such as Trailbreaker Tarsands Pipeline) we believe the motives of these giant utility conglomerates has nothing to do with sustainable energy generation and everything to do with building more infrastructure to reap more profit at the detriment of human health and environmental devastation.
The infrastructure is proposed not to met present energy demands, as nearly all states in the country produce a surplus of energy. In fact according to eRedux.com, a site that offers information on renewable and green energy,
“New Hampshire is not an energy intensive state, both total energy consumption and per capita energy consumption are among the lowest in the country.”
The larger metropolitan areas of Hartford and Boston are seen as potential future importers, with the possibility to continue southwest to New York City. The proposal represents an effort to lay the groundwork for future expectation of rising electricity use during the summer months when cooling demand is expected to increase due to global warming. Studies show the effectiveness of education which leads to changes in use, as usage rates countrywide continue to decline.
In fact, Hydro-Quebec and the associated utility companies on this project demonstrate complete indifference, if not opposition, to any development or discussion of conservation, renewable energy production, or more importantly, developing awareness of global warming. Corporate utility conglomerates, using Green Washing techniques, wish to lull people into the belief that energy companies have their best interests at heart. Clear evidence exists to prove otherwise.
Utility companies have a vast store of capital at their disposal due to the combined dependency of the public on their services and their for-profit structure. Like all corporations, they exist to realize a return for investors and stock holders and therefore have decided to spend their capital waging a war against common sense.
As a result in New Hampshire, the effort to acquire land and approval for the project has threatened land values and divided neighbors and families. In a cynical bid to garner support among workers, they have made huge, unfounded promises of future jobs. These jobs will not provide New Hampshire workers with sustainable careers paying living salaries and giving the employee an opportunity to save for retirement. The jobs created will be temporary and many believe populated by out of state and out of nation workers. New Hampshire needs jobs that will last a generations, not jobs that will disappear each season to transient workers.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, of which many of PSNH’s workers are members, has put their support behind Northern Pass based on a promise of job creation. Study after study shows the projections to be optimistic, temporary and narrowly focused at best. The IBEW’s support of this project is short-sighted over the long term interests of the rest of the state. We condemn the use of workers by corporations as a wedge to advance their agenda. That said, we do support unions. We do not want the IBEW to feel attacked. We feel they made the wrong decision and invite them to reevaluate Northern Pass and the jobs issues. We will be happy to engage in respectful dialogue with members of the any union to show how detrimental Northern Pass will be to our economy, livelihoods, health, and environment.
Hands Across NH is a direct action against Northern Pass and Trailbreaker. We encourage people from around the world to get further involved in the planning and strategizing this event, which is planned for Labor Day weekend. Details are on the following pages:
Facebook page
Facebook Event Page
Hands Across New Hampshire
We will be having a strategy session at the home of of one of our organizers on Sunday, June 17th at 2pm. If you are interested in joining us, please let us know on the pages above or by contacting us on our Progressive Action NH facebook page.
Hands Across New Hampshire is a peaceful, nonviolent, family friendly event to visibly oppose Northern Pass and Trailbreaker. Please become involved by organizing your community to hold hands for 30 minutes on Saturday, September 1, 2012 from 3-3:30.
Other organization’s statements against Northern Pass: (these organizations are also included in our blogroll, if we missed something here, please notify us).
Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests ( position statement)
Even Newt Gingrich opposed Northern Pass
Alliance Against the Northern Pass
Protect the White Mountain National Forests
Progressive Action New Hampshire 
Well done. 🙂
Thank you!
[…] demand in electrical service. (Read here for extensive information and research documentation or our past article on Northern Pass) Increased demand specifically anticipated for the “cooling season” when people will be […]
[…] Both Northern Pass and now the various wind turbine projects proposed from two international turbine companies have characterized their ventures as renewable energy. The people opposed to Northern Pass and the wind projects have come out with clear, cogent and disconcerting arguments as to why these two projects need further study. Northern Pass does not qualify as green, sustainable energy as it will mar key parts of New Hampshire’s White Mountain forest, flood huge swaths of southern Quebec’s Innuit homelands (causing possibly the first environmental refugees in North America in this century) and encroach on untold more miles of woodland in order to service power demand not for New Hampshire’s use — but for southern New England. [for more information and links on Northern Pass see Northern Pass – Not the Option for New Hampshire]. […]
[…] NH Wind Watch is asking that people focus on their local Senator to educate them on the importance of this bill for the future of New Hampshire. We will be posting testimony that was submitted from different stakeholders for your further information. Please make yourself familiar with the wind power issue as the industry has told many myths and half-truths that are easily debunked with the facts. We have a summary for your reference here: Top Ten Myths of Wind Power Generation. For more information on Northern Pass, refer here to our heavily linked article of June 12, 2012, Northern Pass – Not the Option for New Hampshire. […]
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[…] we’d prefer that southern New England states produce their own power as they need it, see our analysis of Northern Pass. That being said, the Bury Northern Pass group does very important and thorough work in watching […]