Hydroelectric power from Quebec started flowing through a new transmission line in Maine on Friday, the culmination of a fraught years-long process aimed at boosting New England's electric supply.
The 145-mile New England Clean Energy Connect line is expected to deliver enough energy to power 1.2 million homes in the region, said Phelps Turner director of clean grid at the Conservation Law Foundation.
"It marks a milestone in the transition in New England to a clean, affordable and reliable energy system," Turner said in an interview.
"The project is going to lower eclectic costs throughout the region, including in Maine, which is significant given the current affordability crisis here and across the region," Turner added.
The power line was developed by Avangrid, the parent company of Central Maine Power. The $1.65 billion line was financed by electric ratepayers in Massachusetts and power companies in the Bay State negotiated 20-year agreements to purchase Quebec hydropower through the line.
Turner said the power flowing through the line will disperse through the regional electric grid, help lower overall prices and reduce the region's reliance on expensive imported fossil fuels. Natural gas power plants currently generate about half of New England's electricity, he added.
Development of the line, including about 50 miles through undeveloped woodland, started in 2018 but faced stiff opposition that received financial backing from NextEra, owner of a New Hampshire nuclear plant. In 2021, Maine voters decisively approved a referendum to block the project and developers were forced to halt construction.
Avangrid, however, was eventually victorious in a lawsuit that alleged they had made enough progress on the line that they had a "vested" right to finish it.
In a press release, the power company said the power line was set to save New England ratepayers $3.38 billion over two decades.
Maine Chamber of Commerce President Patrick Woodcock said the new power line is a crucial source of new electricity as demand soars and prices increase along with volatile fossil fuel prices.
"You know for the first time we have a new transmission line that is displacing imported, carbon intensive and ultimately the most expensive energy production," Woodcock said.
Aside from regional benefits, developers negotiated about $240 million in specific benefits for Maine in exchange for hosting the power line.
The package included $200 million to lower electric rates for CMP customers and low-income Mainers, but it also included millions of dollars for heat pumps, broadband internet, electric vehicle chargers, economic development and education, said Governor Janet Mills in a press release.
“My administration worked to ensure direct benefits for Maine through this project, in partnership with other states and regional partners, to reduce energy costs and diversify our energy supply with clean, reliable resources,” Mills said.
