PSNH Is Making The Moves

I predicted right here on this very board that Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) would pull out the stops, call in its markers and do whatever is possible to get this Northern Pass deal done.

Think tall high voltage transmission towers marching across New Hampshire from the mountains to the sea.

I have some further speculation that leads me to believe this project is in fact moving forward. Right now I’m seeing a lot of pickup trucks and survey crews from the Peter Kiewit Company on or near the proposed right of way. This is significant because Kiewit is one of the most powerful general contractors in this country if not the world. And they only do projects that are major. Think Boston “Big Dig”, nuclear power plants, repairs to LA freeways after earthquakes and this capital list continues decisely on….

Kiewit isn’t in New Hampshire for some surveying chump change they’re here for a reason.

I’d also call to attention the opponent of the Northern Pass project and this is the Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF). If you notice they’re haven’t been any press releases about their opposition to Northern Pass and how it’s going….

Meanwhile at the Statehouse,

Governor Hassan seems to enjoy talking about New Hampshire “innovation” and “moving the state forward.” This certainly plays well.

I wonder what the new governor thinks about the Northern Pass project.

I think it means New Hampshire is a vassal state for profiteers like PSNH and its Park Avenue investors. Billions of dollars of economic value will flow through the state in a nanosecond and New Hampshire will receive less than nothing in return. Less than nothing.

The feudal serfs didn’t have it this good.

Comments

[C. dog]

Now you're making me depressed. Wonder how much the suits at the top of the PSNH pyramid stand to make off this "little" transaction. A cool mill or two? On the bright side of life, the top 40 miles may be only the tip of the iceberg as the lines the rest of the way may run into a legal SNAFU or two regarding capacity and forced "lease" agreements. Why, I bet some enterprising law firm could make quite some hay of it, should they be so inclined, though I don't know what the going rate is for such incursions into Pyramid Makers pockets.
– C. dog

[Steven J. Connolly]

It's been tried.

How many cancer patients have ever been able to collect on a claim for asbestos related injuries? The answer not very many in compairison to the billions racked in by the manufacturers.

The lawyers get paid eithier way.

Modern business is about controlling costs not making a proft. PSNH actually assigned a metric to it's opposition: They call it pushback.

I'm sure their in-house actuarials have calculated to the dime how much probability of success there is here, including the hiring of ambitious lawyers.

Just like freedom and capitalism doesn't exist anymore. Its all oligarchy.

[C. dog]

But this is where it gets possibly interesting from a legalsleeze perspective: what about lawyers representing current landowners along the existing lines? Are there not issues they could ply or plumb vis-a-vis:
1. Lease only pertaining to PSNH use for NH customers,
2. Further property value erosion caused by substantially higher utility towers,
3. And/or widening of utility eminent-domain-of-way triggering yet more requests for Grate Gov annexation?

From my perch nye upon the slopes of the White Mtns, I ain't hearing the fat lady singing yet, but she also hasn't packed her bags either.
– C. dog