An aerial view of a transmission line stretching through a green forest.

^{August 19, 2026} Harlan Electric Brings Drilling and Linework Expertise to Granite State Transmission Project

The S136 power line traverses state and federal public lands through the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains

On a typical transmission line project, a team might navigate complex terrain, inclement weather, strict regulatory requirements, energized work, or working near public use trails – or possibly a combination of a few of these challenges.

For the S136 transmission line rebuild, Harlan Electric Company (Harlan Electric) successfully navigated all these difficult elements simultaneously and finished the work ahead of schedule.

Electric utility Eversource New Hampshire selected Harlan Electric to complete the S136 transmission line rebuild project, replacing more than 200 wood pole structures with light duty steel structures, installing all new 1272 ACSS conductor and one new OPGW line.

This 115kV transmission line was originally built in 1969, extending from Whitefield to Berlin, New Hampshire. It crosses more than a dozen roads and extends through state and federal lands, including a wildlife refuge and portions of the White Mountain National Forest, in addition to numerous public recreation trails for hiking, ATVs, snowmobiles and cyclists.

Multiple crossings and jurisdictions added degrees of difficulty and environmental requirements to the rebuild project.

In addition to the electrical construction scopes of work, Harlan Electric self-performed drilling foundations for all the transmission structures, and managed the civil subcontractor who provided matting, access roads, and project restoration.

Harlan Electric has specialized in performing energized transmission line projects in the region since launching its own barehand live-line certification program in 2019. A significant portion of this 27-mile project was performed under energized conditions, including structure replacements and conductor pulling. De-energized construction methods were used when line outages were available.

Harlan Electric’s dedicated team successfully executed the demanding S136 project with teamwork and transparent communication. While some permits for the public lands were not ready at the outset of the project, Harlan Electric adapted by performing the construction in a very non-sequential way – moving back and forth to locations as permits became available, maintaining momentum throughout the project.

The line rebuild required drilling hundreds of foundations in granite and other hard rock, meeting strict environmental guidelines and seasonal requirements on public-owned lands, protecting people recreating at many different active trail crossings, and working in a mountainous region under windy and wintry conditions which can halt energized linework.

Experienced Drilling Crews Manage Hard Rock, Support Schedule

Drilling foundation holes for transmission line structures in New Hampshire, which is known as the Granite State, is no easy task.

“Drilling on the project was challenging because the project didn’t start at one end and go straight through. There was a lot of moving equipment around between sections,” Project Manager Annette Page explained.

Harlan Electric’s experienced drilling crews performed all the drilling for more than 450 direct embed holes roughly 11 feet deep more efficiently than would have been possible with a subcontractor.

“We had a lot more control over how this project flowed by doing the drilling ourselves.”
Harlan Electric District Manager Ryan Fredette

It also provided greater cost control during the project execution, especially as the work locations needed to shift to meet added line outages and as permits for additional portions of the line became available.

Many of the crew members brought seven to 12 years of drilling experience to the work, which served them well as they encountered various types of very hard rock, including forms of granite, particularly along the Presidential Range of the White Mountains.

General Foreman Hugh Duffy said, “We overcame that hard rock by purchasing an air barrel which improved our drill times drastically.”

With so much hard rock to drill through, the 48-inch pneumatic air barrel was particularly useful. Because this piece of equipment runs on a single track-mounted compressor, the setup was very maneuverable and easy to fit within the constrained work areas. The project team also used four drill rigs in different sizes throughout the project to navigate any terrain they encountered.

The patience and experience of the drilling crews also enabled them to overcome the challenge of sloped rock ledges underground, which can cause drills to try to slide downhill, following the ledge’s contours.

Protecting Public Lands and Those Enjoying Outdoor Recreation

Harlan Electric implemented extra measures to uphold environmental compliance across the public lands the S136 line weaves through. The team proactively managed the many public crossings of the line, supporting outdoor sports and activities while ensuring the public’s safety.

Permits for working within the federally-managed Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge (Pondicherry) and the White Mountains National Forest both came with strict environmental guidance concerning when work could be completed, how to protect the areas, and monitoring requirements throughout the project.

In Pondicherry, Harlan Electric adhered to an extensive set of requirements that went beyond standard best practices for matting and erosion control. All the matting and access roads could only be built in the refuge between mid-December and mid-March during frozen conditions. The team also successfully relocated multiple osprey nests to ensure they were sufficiently far away from the right of way (ROW), demonstrating a commitment to environmental stewardship.

All construction equipment with rubber or steel tracks (instead of wheels) also needed to be washed and inspected three days before it could be brought into the wildlife refuge to prevent the introduction of any invasive species. Their environmental subcontractor documented the entire wildlife refuge for any preexisting invasive species before Harlan Electric brought in any equipment to do work.

There were invasive plants Harlan Electric made sure to avoid while working in the White Mountain National Forest and restoration of the area required special seed.

Throughout the project, the team was especially careful to prevent hydraulic spills.

This region of New Hampshire is popular for its natural beauty and attracts people to many forms of outdoor recreation including hiking, biking, ATV riding and snowmobiling.

Public outreach was a coordinated effort between the customer and Harlan Electric because the line crossed so many public use paths including the Appalachian Trail, hiking trails to Mt. Washington, active rail trails and snowmobile trails.

While work was being performed Harlan Electric also used signage, barricades and multiple sets of flaggers stationed on the ROW to control the public at crossings.

A Complex Project Completed Ahead of Schedule

Harlan Electric finished the line construction months ahead of schedule in March 2026, even after starting later than planned at the customer’s request. Restoration wrapped up in June.

“We were able to work collaboratively with the customer to support their goals,” Fredette said, “The quality of the work was extremely high, and I feel we performed very well on this project, especially with its many complexities.”

With the line now fully rebuilt, it will continue delivering power to the area for decades to come, and its new steel structures will provide greater resilience to the utility’s system, better supporting the communities that depend on it.