There's this famous quote from LS Power that goes...
As for complaints from farmers, Mulvey said LESS THAN ONE ACRE of agricultural fields are “permanently impacted by the alternative routes that we have proposed” and that transmission lines “successfully coexist” with farms in Maine and across the U.S.
“Landowners will be able to continue to use the easement area for a number of activities including farming, growing hay, pasture land, crossing the easement, hunting and the like,” Mulvey added.
[emphasis ours]
BDN, The questions and controversy behind a proposed Maine wind power line
The article above was written by Billy Kobin and published August 15th, 2023.
How did Doug Mulvey at LS Power come up with the laughable number of less than one acre of agricultural impact?
They measured the footprint of the poles.
That is, at best, disingenuous.
The proposed transmission line will cut a 150 foot swath through about 110 miles of forests and farmlands. (The proposed line is estimated at 150 miles, but about 40 miles is in existing corridors.) In all areas, herbicides will likely be used to prevent growth.
Potential actual impacts from farming in or near a transmission line include:
Electrical interference; not safe to use tractors and equipment nearby
Animal health: some animals can’t be bred within proximity of lines
Animal health: if human houses shouldn’t be within 300’ of lines, why would you think it’s safe for animals to graze underneath?
Property limitations: the land can’t be farmed as organic if herbicides and pesticides are used
I’ve been measuring the farmland impacts of the 150’ wide swath through various towns- these are the actual, direct, real farmland impacts, from the point of view of farmers:
Palermo: 28 acres
China: 17 acres
Albion: 8 acres or 10, depending on line direction
Unity: 32 acres
Troy: 4 acres
Benton: 17 acres
Clinton: 33 acres
Pittsfield: 3 acres
Burnham: 8 acres
Detroit: 1 acre
That was as far up the line as I got. Below are some examples of the screenshots.
Stop Gateway Grid: Preserve Rural Maine
We are hearing from legislators that there are as many as a dozen corridors in the works.
The LS Power corridor, proposed through some of the best farmland in central Maine, is likely the first of many.
Massachusetts’ ambitious net zero goals appear to rely on northern Maine’s supply of future wind and solar.
We can meet those goals AND preserve Maine’s natural beauty by using buried high voltage DC lines.
Buried HVDC is now less expensive or cost comparable than above ground AC. It requires a 5 foot by 5 foot easement underground.
LS Power has prior experience with HVDC underground; they are currently working on two projects in California
NH and VT are doing a major transmission line called Twin State Clean Energy Link. 75 miles of the 211 mile line will be buried.