PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 6, 2025
The more populous southern New England states need electricity and northern Maine offers abundant opportunities to deliver wind energy from Aroostook County and hydropower from Canada. Tie the two together with a more than $1 billion transmission upgrade, and renewable energy will flow without impediments to the rest of the region. And with the cost split among the six states, Mainers will reap tremendous benefits at a bargain. That’s the first-of-its-kind pitch made by New England’s governors to the region’s grid operator. One project nearing completion is the 145-mile NECEC transmission line, which is expected to bring 1,200 MW of Canadian hydropower to the New England grid. More than 34% of construction is completed, and the project is expected to come online in 2026.