SUN JOURNAL • July 9, 2024
A major piece of the controversial New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line through central Maine is roughly halfway complete in Lewiston. The estimated $250 to $300 million converter station off outer Main Street, which will convert direct current from Hydro-Quebec to alternating current for consumer use, made Lewiston one of the transmission line’s most ardent supporters even as other municipalities and a majority of the public opposed it. Following a two-year hiatus due to a citizens’ initiative, the project restarted in August 2023 after a court ruling sided with NECEC.