Electric Transmission Line Ordinances

Location, Siting, and Land Use

Where can transmission facilities be located, and in which zoning districts?
Are setbacks measured from property lines, homes, occupied buildings, or other sensitive locations?
Are alternative routes and existing utility corridors evaluated?
Are forests, farms, scenic areas, historic places, recreation areas, and public lands addressed?
Are overhead and underground alternatives considered where appropriate?
Are substations, converter stations, switching stations, and associated facilities covered?

Noise and Ongoing Operations

Are limits established for construction noise and ongoing operational noise?
Does the ordinance address continuous hum, low-frequency noise, tonal noise, or nighttime noise?
Are sound levels measured at the property line or at nearby homes, and under what conditions?
Are baseline sound measurements, independent testing, and complaint procedures addressed?
Are cooling fans, transformers, substations, and other associated equipment included?

Lighting and Visual Impacts

Are lighting levels, direction, shielding, glare, and hours of operation addressed?
Are nighttime security lights and aviation warning lights considered where applicable?
Are views from homes, public roads, scenic areas, and historic locations evaluated?
Are tree clearing, vegetation buffers, screening, and ongoing vegetation management addressed?
Are pole height, structure type, corridor width, and visual scale considered?

Roads, Access, and Construction Traffic

Are new access roads, gates, entrances, and maintenance routes reviewed?
Are road widths, grades, drainage, erosion, dust, and runoff addressed?
Are weight limits, heavy equipment, oversized loads, bridges, culverts, and road capacity evaluated?
Are pre-construction road surveys, financial guarantees, damage repair, and post-construction inspections required where lawful?
Are construction hours, traffic management, emergency access, and school-bus routes considered?
Are private roads, shared driveways, and access for emergency services addressed?

Water, Soil, and Environmental Impacts

Are wetlands, streams, vernal pools, floodplains, groundwater, and drinking-water sources considered?
Are erosion control, stormwater management, sediment, and changes in drainage addressed?
Are forest fragmentation, wildlife habitat, and sensitive species considered?
Are tree clearing, soil compaction, invasive plants, and restoration addressed?
Are spill prevention, hazardous materials, and fire response plans addressed?

Nearby Properties and Community Impacts

Are potential effects on nearby property values evaluated using credible evidence?
Are visual impacts, privacy, rural character, and the enjoyment of homes and land considered?
Are agricultural operations, forestry, recreation, and existing land uses protected where possible?
Are impacts on tourism, local businesses, and community destinations considered?
Are impacts on public lands, historic sites, and culturally significant places considered?

Public Safety and Infrastructure

Are electrical safety, fire risk, emergency response, and access for responders addressed?
Are electromagnetic fields, induced currents, and other relevant exposure questions addressed with appropriate technical evidence?
Are effects on communications, public safety systems, and nearby infrastructure evaluated where relevant?
Are equipment security, hazardous incidents, and emergency contacts covered?

Construction, Enforcement, and Accountability

Must plans, studies, permits, and supporting information be submitted before review?
Are construction schedules, work areas, contractor responsibilities, and restoration plans specified?
Are independent technical reviews, inspections, and monitoring addressed?
Are complaint procedures, response times, recordkeeping, and corrective actions defined?
Are financial guarantees, insurance, bonding, and responsibility for damage addressed?
Are violations, enforcement authority, appeals, and remedies clearly established?

Maintenance, Upgrades, and End of Life

Are vegetation maintenance, inspections, repairs, and access rights addressed?
Do material changes, capacity increases, new structures, or corridor expansions trigger review?
Are abandoned or unused facilities required to be removed where legally permissible?
Are restoration, waste disposal, soil remediation, and long-term financial responsibility addressed?
Are ownership changes, decommissioning plans, and ongoing obligations covered?

Public Process and Local Planning

Does the proposal align with the town’s comprehensive plan and existing ordinances?
Are public notice, accessible project information, public hearings, and opportunities for participation addressed?
Are affected landowners and road abutters identified and notified as required by applicable law?
Are cumulative impacts from multiple projects considered?
Are the municipality’s authority, review procedures, timelines, and decision-making responsibilities clear?