If I had known about all of this earlier, I would have brought you and the PSNA in earlier, but them's the breaks. Eversource is working on figuring out the path and getting permits for a major laying of electrical cables from Allston/Brighton through East Cambridge to Union Square, where they are expanding the substation across from the new Union Square Green Line station. There was a hearing on Wednesday about the substation work, which conflicted with the ECPT meeting, so none of us were there.
The astute folks at STEP (Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership) picked up on the importance of siting that expansion so that it remains possible to extend the Union Square spur to Porter Square, which is where PSNA comes in. As you know, there is strength in numbers. ECPT is already involved because it matters to us where the path travels through our neighborhood, but we also have an obvious interest in keeping this possible future connection to Porter Square viable. Now it turns out that Porter Square folks also have reason to care how this gets sited.
The current regulatory opportunity to weigh in is the ENF, which you can obtain by emailing
Mike Howard of Epsilon Associates and asking for the ENF for EEA #16497, the Eversource Greater Cambridge Energy Program. It's 577 pages. The comment period ends March 1, so I doubt anyone will be dissecting all 577 of those pages at this point, but I have no doubt that having the PSNA and/or some of the passionate public transit advocates in the group weigh in on this point will make an impression on MEPA.
I have cc'ed three active, knowledgeable STEP members and leaders. They can provide much more information on this.issue, including the history, than I ever could.
Heather (it never ends)