Public comment for Eversource Vineyard Sound cable plans ends Aug. 25 - Cape Cod Times

Public comment for Eversource Vineyard Sound cable plans ends Aug. 25

Eversource looks to add fifth cable under Vineyard Sound. Here's how you can comment.
Graham Krewinghaus

A proposed electrical cable that would run under the seabed from Woods Hole to Oak Bluffs is undergoing the permit application process and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wants public input on the proposal.

Drilling on either side of Vineyard Sound would be required to bury 6.27 miles of cable beneath the ocean floor.

Eversource representatives said Tuesday that the proposal was part of a larger, long-term plan to respond to growing electricity demand on Martha’s Vineyard. According to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, the population on the island grew almost 25% between 2010 and 2020.

“As part of our everyday commitment to delivering safe and reliable electric service to our customers on Martha’s Vineyard and meet the growing demand for electricity on the island, we have proposed building an additional fifth submarine cable,” Chris McKinnon, a spokesperson for Eversource, wrote.

“This multi-year project will also allow us to reduce carbon emissions by decommissioning and removing the five diesel backup generators on Martha’s Vineyard, while ensuring we can reliably meet the needs of our customers on island for years to come.”

To begin the work, Eversource needs a permit from the New England district of the Army Corps of Engineers, who have put the plan in a public comment period. They seek comment from the public as well as any local, state or federal agencies and any Native American tribes. Comments can be submitted by emailing Christine.m.jacek@usace.army.mil, and the comment period ends Aug. 25.

Initial reviews done by the district engineer found that adverse affects to essential fish habitats would not be substantial, and that no historic properties or endangered species would be harmed, according to its report.

The majority of the distance across Vineyard Sound would be covered by trenchless jetplow, which would bury the cable 6 to ten feet below the seabed. On either end, the cable would enter the ground via horizontal directional drilling, according to the district engineer’s report.

According to McKinnon, Eversource expects the cable to be in service by June 2025, barring any major changes in the permitting process. The line would have a voltage of 23 kV, and would supplement other existing lines crossing the sound, including a cable from Woods Hole to Tisbury that it plans to replace after it failed in 2021. That cable should be in service shortly after the new one, McKinnon said.

Just around 15 miles south of the Vineyard, meanwhile, work continues on tunneling for the groundbreaking Vineyard Wind project, an offshore wind farm that would generate the power for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the state. The project includes a 35-mile tunnel to carry power from the wind farm to a substation in Centerville from which it’ll be sent out to the power grid.

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