New Hampshire's largest electric company is supporting FairPoint Communications' bid to take over Verizon's land telephone lines in Vermont and two other states. Public Service Company of New Hampshire and FairPoint have reached an agreement to work together to manage utility poles and on other issues of mutual interest.

In an announcement this week, Public Service said it had withdrawn as an intervenor in the state Public Utility Commission's review of the FairPoint plan and was supporting the merger request.

PSNH spokesman Martin Murray says PSNH and Verizon have clashed before over the removal of utility poles and other issues concerning co-owned utility poles. He says PSNH sought intervenor status in the FairPoint review to make sure the company would abide by cooperative operating procedures.