Construction starts on disputed $1B electricity corridor
3 years, 10 months ago

Construction starts on disputed $1B electricity corridor

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — Construction on part of a $1 billion electricity transmission corridor through sparsely populated woods in western Maine is on hold because of legal action, but that doesn’t mean all building has been halted. Workers installed the first of 829 steel poles Tuesday on a widened portion of the existing corridor that is part of the project near The Forks, as the groundwork is laid for the 145-mile New England Clean Energy Connect. “This project has always promised to provide an economic boost to Maine’s economy, and we are already seeing those benefits take shape,” Thorn Dickinson, CEO of the New England Clean Energy Connect, said Tuesday. The electricity transmission line would provide a conduit for up to 1,200 megawatts of Canadian hydropower, reducing greenhouse emissions and stabilizing energy costs in New England, supporters say. The project, which would be fully funded by Massachusetts ratepayers to meet the state’s clean energy goals, calls for construction of a high-voltage power line from Mount Beattie Township on the Canadian border to the regional power grid in Lewiston, Maine.

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Maine hydropower corridor will resume construction despite big jump in cost, CEO says
1 year, 4 months ago

Maine hydropower corridor will resume construction despite big jump in cost, CEO says

Associated Press  

LEWISTON, Maine — Construction in Maine will resume next week on an electricity transmission project bringing Canadian hydropower to the New England power grid despite a half-billion dollar cost increase, the head of Avangrid said Thursday. CEO Pedro Azagra Blazquez said on an earnings call that the cost of the project, originally estimated at around $1 billion, has grown to …

Maine supreme court breathes new life into power project
2 years, 3 months ago

Maine supreme court breathes new life into power project

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s highest court on Tuesday breathed new life into a $1 billion transmission line to serve as conduit for Canadian hydropower, ruling there was merit in developers’ claims that a referendum rebuking the project was unconstitutional. The Supreme Judicial Court concluded that the retroactive nature of the statewide vote to stop the project would violate the developers’ …

Hydro-Quebec halts work on its part of hydropower corridor
2 years, 10 months ago

Hydro-Quebec halts work on its part of hydropower corridor

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — With construction halted on a 145-mile power line in Maine, a Canadian partner on the project is following suit and temporarily halting construction on the other side of the border. Hydro-Quebec advised a regulatory agency in Canada that it hopes to be able to resume construction “and remains convinced of the value, merits and importance of the …

DEP commissioner suspends permit for $1B transmission line
3 years, 1 month ago

DEP commissioner suspends permit for $1B transmission line

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s environmental commissioner suspended a permit Tuesday for a $1 billion electricity transmission line, delivering another blow to the project aimed at bringing Canadian hydropower to New England. Commissioner Melanie Loyzim’s decision comes after Maine residents rebuked the project in a referendum and the developers suspended construction under pressure from the governor. The latest developments follow years …

Court puts halt on construction of $1B Maine power corridor
3 years, 11 months ago

Court puts halt on construction of $1B Maine power corridor

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — A federal appeals court has halted construction of a $1 billion power transmission line corridor through Maine to give conservation groups time to make their case against the project. “This has been a flawed process all along and will have an enormous impact on our environment and Maine’s North Woods.” The project is called the New England …

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