BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 22, 2021
A hearing Monday on suspending a key permit for the controversial hydropower line through western Maine drew heated debate about whether developers have operated too aggressively despite legal challenges or whether pulling the permit will discourage future investment. The stakes are high for all involved. Opponents told the DEP the project already is harming the environment, and the company continued its fast-paced construction despite legal and regulatory challenges. NECEC Transmission said halting the project puts hundreds of jobs on the line and stalling it too long could jeopardize the hydropower line. If the DEP negates the route, other state approvals would unravel. The agency is reconsidering the project after a judge found the state had no authority to grant leases on public land in rural Somerset County.