DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ANNOUNCES ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR THE NEW ENGLAND CLEAN POWER LINK

Burlington, VT — TDI New England announced today that the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to assess the potential environmental impacts of the proposed New England Clean Power Link transmission project.

This review will be done in response to TDI New England’s application for a Presidential Permit, which was filed in May 2014. According to information contained within the NOI, the DOE anticipates issuing a draft EIS for the project in April 2015 and the final EIS in October 2015. A Presidential Permit is necessary for TDI-New England to construct, operate, maintain and connect the New England Clean Power Link across the U.S-Canada border.

TDI New England Chief Executive Officer Donald Jessome said, “We are very excited about working with the Department of Energy and the other cooperating Federal Agencies to take this next step in the development of the New England Clean Power Link. We also look forward to filing applications later this year with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Vermont so that all the appropriate regulators, and the public, can review this project in an open, thorough manner.”

The EIS will address potential environmental impacts of the proposed project and the range of reasonable alternatives. Agencies that will be cooperating in the review include: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Public scoping meetings for the EIS will be held on September 16 in Burlington and September 17 in Rutland, VT. As part of its public information program, TDI New England has already conducted extensive outreach to nonprofits, local officials, stakeholder groups and landowners to inform them about the project. The company is also in the process of hosting six open house meetings in Vermont at locations along the proposed overland route of the New England Clean Power Link transmission project to meet with community members and provide more information on the project. The meetings began on August 19 and will continue through September 4, 2014.

About the New England Clean Power Link
The New England Clean Power Link is a proposed 154 mile underwater and underground transmission line that would deliver 1,000 MW of clean, lower-cost, hydroelectricity to Vermont and the New England market. The line is being developed with private sector financing by TDI New England and would originate at the U.S. – Canadian border and travel underwater down Lake Champlain to Benson, Vermont and through existing road rights-of-ways to a new converter station that would be built in Ludlow, Vermont.

About TDI New England
TDI New England is a Blackstone Portfolio Company. New York based Blackstone is a global leader in alternative asset management with $272 billion currently under management. The TDI New England team is made up of the same leadership team currently developing the Champlain Hudson Power Express in New York State. The developers have a strong track record of working in partnership with local elected officials, community groups, and other stakeholders to develop projects that meet unique energy needs of growing economies, while minimizing local impacts. More information on the company and the project are available at www.necplink.com.