“Today’s ruling by the Law Court is yet another step in the right direction for Maine’s renewable energy future. The serious need for the NECEC project to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, combat climate change, and lower regional energy prices remains unchanged. For the past three years, despite opposition funding by fossil fuel interests, every regulatory body at the local, state, and federal level has thoroughly reviewed the New England Clean Energy Connect and all agree the NECEC is beneficial for Mainers. We are pleased with today’s ruling and look forward to determining our next steps for this critical project.”

PROJECT UPDATE: The Canadian government has issued the final permit necessary to construct the Canadian transmission line that will connect to the Clean Energy Corridor in Maine. More in the BDN

As the majority of the labor working on the New England Clean Energy Connect are Maine union workers, the Clean Energy Corridor is incredibly pleased to have the support and endorsement of our country’s largest federation of unions, the AFL-CIO, and its Maine affiliates. This project will employ 1,600 total workers annually while removing millions of metric tons of carbon from our atmosphere. We look forward to employing more Maine union members as construction expands while moving our state closer to its carbon emission goals.

PROJECT UPDATE: Workers have now set a total of four poles in the Clean Energy Corridor project. We're making good progress!

Construction of the Clean Energy Corridor has begun on segments 2 and 3.

On Friday afternoon, a federal judge in Boston issued a ruling that will pause construction on one segment of the Clean Energy Corridor while the judge reviews the permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Construction on the other two segments will proceed as planned. Below is a statement from NECEC on the decision:

“This project has been through a number of court challenges and the significant economic and environmental benefits of this project to Maine and the region remain strong. While this legal process plays out, we will not be conducting construction activities in segment one of the line.”

The project has received the Presidential Permit from the US Department of Energy. Read full press release.

The planning board for the City of Lewiston yesterday unanimously approved construction of the Clean Energy Corridor's DC-to-AC converter station off Merrill Road.

Read more about it in the Sun Journal.

With construction ready to get underway, the New England Clean Energy Connect has begun hiring for the first of 1,600 jobs building the Clean Energy Corridor. Mainers will be given top priority for the jobs. More information is available at necleanenergyconnect.org/jobs

We hope you and your loved ones had a happy and safe holiday season. We would like to take a moment to look back at what an extraordinary year it has been for the New England Clean Energy Connect.

LOOKING BACK
In 2020, the Clean Energy Corridor met several significant milestones as we prepare for construction to begin.

Permits
Final permits were granted for the project by the Maine Public Utilities Commission, the Maine Land Use Planning Commission, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Having these permits secured allows us to begin construction on the corridor in Maine. The Presidential permit is the final piece of the puzzle. This will allow construction to cross over the border into Québec. We hope to have this permit in place in the coming weeks…

The next significant benchmark in the NECEC process has been met with the issuing of the permit from the Army Corps of Engineers. With that approval in hand, our work can now begin and the positive environmental and economic impact the project will create will become a reality. That impact will be felt almost immediately thanks to the recently signed deal between the NECEC and the state. Benefits that were expected to be delivered in a few years will be delivered now.

Final preparations are in motion, jobs are being filled, and the hiring process is in full swing. It is important to note that Mainers will be given first preference in every instance to fill these jobs. These jobs will go to a mix of both union and non-union labor. We expect to break ground on the project by the end of the year. I speak for the entire project team in expressing our excitement as we prepare to embark on the construction of the Clean Energy Corridor.

The Maine Ethics Commission unanimously voted to deny Stop the Corridor’s request to vacate a subpoena issued by the Commission. The subpoena would allow the commission to investigate Stop the Corridor’s funders and its expenditures.

In the subpoena, the Commission makes seven specific requests of Stop the Corridor to share documents, contracts, and budgets relevant to the investigation (those requests are outlined beginning HERE on page 17; a redacted copy of the actual subpoena begins on page 21). Stop the Corridor made cash contributions of untold amounts to the Natural Resources Council of Maine and spent millions opposing the NECEC. Natural Resources Council of Maine has never commented on-the-record about its financial relationship with Stop the Corridor.

Working on the New England Clean Energy Connect has provided me with so many wonderful opportunities to travel around our great state and talk with Mainers about the significant benefits the project will bring us— lower energy costs for Maine families and businesses, reductions in greenhouse gases threatening our way of life, and a more reliable electric transmission system to keep us safe. Along the way, I’ve also heard your concerns about the project.

What I’m most proud of is that the team developing this project has listened and worked hard to address the issues Mainers have raised. When it was said the project would cross through too much forestland, we refined our route and the amount of impacted forest land to less than 1,000 acres, a tiny fraction of the 411,000 acres that are harvested for timber every year. We heard that the corridor was too wide, so our design was adjusted to narrow it from 150 feet to 54 feet at the widest point. Many folks didn’t want the transmission line to go over the Kennebec River, so we changed our plans to go under the riverbed.

The big story of the past month is the announcement by Governor Mills that Hydro-Québec has signed a formal binding commitment to sell electricity directly to Maine at a discounted price via the NECEC. This commitment will result in enough clean energy to power approximately 70,000 homes or 10,000 businesses in Maine. The new agreement also ensures that Maine will see increased benefits from this project several years earlier than planned. Maine’s Public Advocate Barry Hobbins endorsed the deal, saying, “This commitment adds to the already significant stipulation that was negotiated and ensures that Maine ratepayers will receive lower cost electricity as a result of this project.”

We continue to wait on a ruling regarding a lawsuit filed by AVANGRID Networks, the parent company of Central Maine Power which questions the constitutionality of the referendum proposed by opponents of the NECEC in two instances. First, the referendum exceeds the legislative power provided to the people under the Constitution. Second, the referendum violates the separation of powers provision of the Maine Constitution. The lawsuit is supported by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and the Industrial Energy Consumer’s Group (IECG). A decision is expected by the end of the summer.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) has granted final permitting approval for the project. The decision confirms that the NECEC has met or exceeded all environmental standards established by the MDEP and that the current design is the best route for the project. The MDEP decision adds several new conditions which make an incredibly good project even better. These include narrowing the width of the corridor from 150 feet to 54 feet, the preservation of 40,000 acres of land and the allocation of nearly $2 million to replace culverts along or near the project route. The next permit in the process is from the Army Corps of Engineers, and we continue to plan on breaking ground on the NECEC later this year.

This morning, we officially launched Clearing the Air! Below is a flyer with information about the show and how to access it. You can also download the flyer here.

Watch the first episode of Clearing the Air here: bitly.com/ClearingTheAir