Nantucket is Growing Rapidly
Home construction and the attractiveness of the island as a vacation destination have caused the demand for electricity to increase very rapidly. In fact, from 1990 to 2000, Nantucket's population growth was 58 percent compared to 5.5 percent for Massachusetts (Source: US Census).
The capacity of the existing cable will be reached in the foreseeable future and construction of the second cable will be underway soon to meet that need. The second submarine cable will preserve the reliability that Nantucket has enjoyed since the first cable was put into service.
The evaluation of alternative ways to meet Nantucket's electric needs included a hard look at energy conservation. Because there are so few large commercial customers on the island, conservation efforts would not sufficiently reduce the need to deliver additional energy. As a matter of environmental stewardship and in the interest of customer service, we will continue to implement energy conservation programs on the island.
The design and benefits of the second submarine cable would be very similar to the existing undersea cable that serves Nantucket. A distinct route and connection to the transmission grid are needed for optimum reliability. Additional access to the regional electric transmission grid also is a plus for our customers. It will expand their link to the suppliers in the regional energy market, including renewable sources.
We are an Electricity Delivery Company
We are no longer in the business of generating electricity. We contract for the electricity we deliver to customers who have not chosen a competitive supplier.
The only exception is the on-island generators that back up the existing Harwich-to-Nantucket submarine cable. These generators are designed to run only if there is a problem with the cable and an interim source of electricity is needed.
Public Input: The Second Cable
Many federal, state, and local permits were required to site the second cable and there was active solicitation of public input while permitting was underway. Public information meetings were held in 2003 and 2004 on the Cape and on Nantucket.
During the permitting process, Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) were convened in both Barnstable and Nantucket. The TAGs were comprised of local officials and our project team. They met to share information and provide input that helped to determine the final routes of the two lengths of cable on land.
Permitting is nearly complete and we hope to complete construction by the end of 2005.
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