BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 16, 2022
Maine’s high court is expected to soon rule on challenges to a referendum and a permit for the $1 billion hydropower corridor, but lawyers on both sides said the decisions may not end the long fight over the project. The stakes are high, with money, jobs and the will of the people hanging in the balance. The referendum, which was aimed at stopping the New England Clean Energy Connect project, was the most expensive ballot initiative in state history, with campaigns spending more than $90 million. If the court’s rulings favor corridor backers, the project will move ahead. While opponents could try to launch another referendum, the project could be completed by the time they do. If the court’s rulings favor opponents, the few remaining options to save the project would dwindle further. A mixed ruling on the cases would muddy the waters even more for the corridor.