Energy

As the nature of energy generation and transmission in the U.S. has changed over time, Epsilon has maintained its position as an industry leader. Our energy practice includes comprehensive licensing, siting, and permitting services for all types of power generation and delivery, and has been a mainstay of Epsilon’s practice for over twenty years.

While Epsilon has emerged as an industry leader in permitting renewable power generation facilities, a substantial element of our practice continues to support traditional generation and power delivery.

Our expertise ranges from the permitting of wind and solar power generation facilities to supporting traditional generation and power delivery, including district heating, combined heat and power projects, substation and compressor station development, liquefied natural gas facilities, natural gas pipelines, and underground and overhead electric transmission projects.

Offshore Wind (OSW)

Epsilon specializes in securing environmental approvals for large-scale infrastructure and energy projects, including offshore wind development.

Expertise
  • Developed the first Construction and Operations Plan (COP) filed with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for the current generation of utility-scale US offshore wind projects. Received Record of Decision in May 2021.
  • Developed five additional COPs following Vineyard Wind 1 for offshore wind projects located in waters offshore New England and the Mid-Atlantic.
  • Over five years of experience working closely with BOEM and offshore wind developers to guide projects through the federal permitting process.
  • Offshore and onshore permitting expertise for major infrastructure projects, including offshore and coastal terminals, submarine cables and pipelines, offshore sand mining, onshore transmission, and regional electricity grid interconnections.
  • Over 20 years of experience working with federal, state, regional, and local permitting on marine and coastal projects.

Epsilon's team of energy transmission specialists, coastal scientists, marine biologists, and ecologists together offer the expertise that is essential for successfully navigating through the highly complex federal, state, regional, and local offshore wind development permitting process.

Our federal, state, regional, and local permitting and approvals assistance includes support for BOEM COP filing, offshore and coastal terminals, submarine cables and pipelines, offshore sand mining, onshore transmission, and regional electrical grid interconnections.

Solar Power

Epsilon Associates represents solar energy development owners through the entire environmental permitting process. Our work often begins at project inception, including site due diligence, through licensing, permitting and construction, and extends through project completion and permitting closeout.

Epsilon offers comprehensive environmental services including wetlands and rare species permitting, detailed development constraints analyses, transmission line routing expertise, and sound level monitoring and modeling services.

Epsilon's consulting scientists offer federal, state, and local environmental compliance and permitting services in coordination with our compliance resources, including acoustics, GIS, and credentialed wildlife biologists, ecologists, and wetland scientists.

We specialize in solar and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) acoustics/noise consulting and permitting services. Using Cadna/A (Computer Aided Noise Abatement) software, Epsilon has conducted over 200 sound level modeling and monitoring studies for energy projects across the United States and Canada, including dozens of solar and BESS developments.

Project Details Blandford Solar
Blandford Solar
Expertise
  • Local, state, and federal environmental permitting
  • Sound level monitoring and modeling
  • Site suitability determinations
  • Permitting constraints analysis
  • Due diligence
  • Transmission line routing
  • Historic and cultural resource inventory, including archaeology
  • Wetland resource area delineations, mitigation plans and evaluations
  • Rare species assessment and surveying
  • Preliminary site maps and complex spatial analyses

Transmission

Epsilon has a long and proven track record of successfully permitting electric transmission lines, gas pipelines, and their supporting facilities.

The founders of Epsilon included industry leaders in the siting and development of major electric generation and transmission projects. They passed their considerable skills and expertise down to the current generation of Epsilon scientists, engineers, and planners. And as such, siting and permitting of linear power and fuel lines remains a cornerstone of Epsilon’s energy practice, and we are proud to continue our support of local and regional transmission operators.

Our experienced staff has cultivated strong working relationships with the regulatory agencies, and we have a deep knowledge of the regulations and regulatory strategies. We are able to provide important strategic guidance to our clients and identify critical flaws and opportunities during project planning.

This unmatched experience means that Epsilon is leading the way in guiding projects through the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board and Department of Public Utility approval processes, with dozens of generation and transmission projects fully licensed.

Project Details Boston Harbor HEEC Cable, Boston
Boston Harbor HEEC Cable, Boston
Expertise
  • Local, state, and federal environmental permitting
  • Energy Facilities Siting Board and Department of Public Utilities applications
  • Routing analysis, site selection, and evaluation of project alternatives
  • Wetlands delineation, functions and values assessments, and mitigation plans
  • Threatened and endangered species habitat assessments and surveys
  • Photo-simulations
  • GIS mapping
  • Environmental Management and Construction Plans
  • Environmental Inspector Services & Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans
  • Expert testimony and public hearing presentations
  • FERC resource report preparation

Traditional Energy

Traditional energy generation licensing and permitting has been one of Epsilon’s core services throughout its history.

We provide of a broad spectrum of permitting, compliance, and support services for a variety of facilities, including natural gas generation (baseload and peaking), waste-to-energy facilities, liquefied natural gas facilities, district heating, and institutional and commercial combined heat and power projects.

Our siting and licensing support of new power generation facilities include a range of services from air quality analyses and noise monitoring to wetland delineation, historic preservation, and rare species assessments. Epsilon also performs due diligence studies for power plant acquisitions and assists our clients with fuel type conversions and facility decommissioning.

Epsilon engineers and scientists combine their broad knowledge of the energy industry with experience navigating changing regulatory requirements. They use this knowledge and experience to advocate for our clients, from electric generating facilities, liquefied natural, gas storage facilities, district heating, electric substations, to combined heat and power facilities and guide them through the environmental permitting processes.

Environmental regulatory agencies know Epsilon and what to expect of us, and we know what to expect of them based on many years of working together. Epsilon uses this knowledge to give our clients discrete and practical solutions to obtaining regulatory approvals and helps ensure that no time is wasted on unnecessary steps in obtaining critical project approvals.

Project Details Cricket Valley Transmission Project
Cricket Valley Transmission Project
Expertise
  • Siting and licensing of new electric and gas generation facilities
  • Department of Public Utilities and Energy Facilities Siting Board Petitions in MA
  • Public Service Commission Applications (Art. VII and Art. 10) in NY
  • Field investigations for wetlands, rare species, and other ecological resources
  • Air permitting and modeling
  • Compliance support for existing facilities
  • Due diligence reviews
  • SWPPP and SPCC preparation and planning
  • Visual simulations

Have any questions?

Marc Bergeron, PWS, CWS Principal

Marc Bergeron, PWS, CWS

Principal

Transmission & Offshore Wind

978-461-6253
David Klinch, PWS, PMP Principal

David Klinch, PWS, PMP

Principal

Transmission & Pipeline Permitting

978-461-6263
Maria Hartnett Principal

Maria Hartnett

Principal

Offshore Wind