Portland, Maine — An energy company has received the final permit it needs from Maine to build a controversial hydroelectric transmission line project that promises to power hundreds of thousands of homes in Massachusetts.
The project is scheduled to provide up to 1,200 megawatts of Canadian hydropower to the New England power grid. Voters in Maine rejected the project in a 2021 referendum after opponents campaigned that they claimed it would destroy forests in the state.
Jury Ruled in 2023 That developers have a constitutional right to move forward. Avangrid Inc., the energy company behind the project, received the final permit it needed for the New England Clean Energy Connect corridor on November 19.
Final testing of the CMP corridor is on track to be completed by mid-December, after which the system can begin delivering power, said Avangrid spokesman John Breed.
The company portrayed the work as a victory for clean energy and the environment.
“We have obtained every permit, met all regulatory requirements, and overcome significant challenges because we believe we must meet the urgent need for reliable energy at a time of high demand,” said Avangrid CEO José Antonio Miranda.
The 145-mile (233-kilometer) transmission line runs from Lewiston, Maine, to the Canadian border, mostly following existing utility corridors. The new 53-mile (85 km) section was the core of the fight over the project.
Opponents said the long legal battle over the corridor has left lingering resentment against Avangrid, which owns Central Maine Power, Maine’s largest utility.
“Unless future energy projects bring better benefits to affected Maine communities, such as shared ownership, we can expect to see a greater backlash than ever against elected leaders and against the industry as a whole,” said Seth Perry, executive director of Our Power, a Maine energy nonprofit.
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Associated Press writer Michael Casey in Boston contributed to this report.