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January 16, 2026

"Transmission line will deliver affordable electricity to Maine consumers and support new investments in energy efficiency, broadband, and communities"

Governor Janet Mills today welcomed the completion of the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) transmission line, which will deliver affordable electricity into Maine and New England, strengthen the electric grid, reduce dependence on electricity from natural gas, and provide substantial benefits for Maine people.

The NECEC project will deliver 1,200 megawatts of renewable power from Québec to New England. The project was officially opened in a brief ceremony today in Massachusetts, which contracted to build the transmission line in 2018.

Per a 2019 agreement approved by the Maine Public Utilities Commission [ [link removed] ], operation of the NECEC will provide more than $240 million in direct benefits to Maine, of which nearly $200 million is dedicated to reducing electricity rates for Maine residents. In 2020, Governor Mills negotiated with Hydro-Québec, the electricity provider for the NECEC, for an additional $40 million in benefits for Maine ratepayers and to accelerate payments for benefits agreed upon through the 2019 agreement [ [link removed] ].

These benefits from the NECEC for Maine include tens of millions of dollars for energy efficiency upgrades, broadband expansion, economic development and education initiatives, and funding for host communities along the path of the transmission line. In addition, the project is expected to deliver $23 million in tax revenue to local communities in the first year alone.

"With power now flowing today, the NECEC project will provide substantial benefits to Maine people through electricity rate relief, funding for energy efficiency upgrades, broadband, education, and other key investments, all while strengthening our grid and without costing Maine ratepayers," *said Governor Mills. *"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."

"The completion of the NECEC project comes at a critical time, as rising natural gas prices are driving higher electricity costs across our region this winter," *said Dan Burgess, Acting Commissioner of the Maine Department of Energy Resources. *"This project will provide nearly $200 million in direct electricity rate relief for Maine people while helping to suppress energy prices across the region over the long term. By delivering 1,200 megawatts of low-cost hydropower to the New England grid, the project will strengthen reliability for the region while reducing our reliance on expensive fossil fuels."

The benefits to Maine because of this project include:


* *Rate Relief:*
* $140 million in electricity rate relief for Central Maine Power customers, with an additional estimated $50 million from the sale of energy certificates into Maine;
* $50 million for rate relief for low-income customers statewide;

* *Heat Pumps: *$15 million for heat pumps, helping Maine people lower heating costs;
* *Broadband: *$10 million for broadband, expanding access to high-speed internet in host communities;
* *Transportation: * $15 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructure;
* *Community Investments:*$10 million for local economic development and education in host communities.

"The operation of the Northeast Clean Energy Connect project will reduce our reliance on expensive and imported carbon-intensive fuels, improve electric reliability, and provide long-term revenue for municipalities and our state, *said Patrick Woodcock, President and CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. *"The Maine State Chamber of Commerce appreciates the continued leadership of Governor Mills and the perseverance of Avangrid and Hydro-Québec to bring this project online today and we look forward to continuing to work to bring a pragmatic energy agenda that provides an affordable and clean energy future for Maine's households and businesses alike."

"As Maine electricity consumers, IECG celebrates today's start of operation of the NECEC project," *said Bob Dorko, President of the Industrial Energy Consumer Group (IECG). *"This morning, the Maine electricity price was half a cent less that the New England price, due primarily to NECEC. This is a huge benefit when applied to every kilowatt hour consumed in Maine today. And best of all, the project costs Maine consumers nothing. That's smart energy strategy, getting lower costs because of Maine's location and resources."

"This is a significant milestone in New England's transition to a clean, reliable and affordable energy system," *said Phelps Turner, Director of Clean Grid, Conservation Law Foundation*. "The New England Clean Energy Connect will lower electricity costs here in Maine and throughout the region, which is important, given the current affordability crisis. In addition to providing affordable energy, the project will also be providing much-needed reliable energy to Maine and the rest of the region. NECEC has already generated many other positive benefits, including for local communities and clean energy infrastructure here in Maine, and will improve air quality by reducing pollution from fossil-fueled power plants."

"Today's announcement of the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) line delivers upon what clean energy advocates have long been saying: we can have affordable energy sources with low carbon emissions," *said Daniel L. Sosland, President of Acadia Center. *"As volatile fossil fuel prices continue to soar and the region relies on natural gas for 50% of its power, clean energy remains the only viable path forward to deliver affordability. Consumers in Maine and around the region will benefit from reducing our overreliance on natural gas, and Maine's clean energy, reliability, and affordability goals will advance. This project highlights the value of continued cross-border grid cooperation between the Northeast U.S. and Eastern Canada and the potential benefits that interregional transmission can realize for consumers and communities."

"As we work together to address the critical issue of affordability in the state of Maine, we know that even the best efforts to lower costs are rendered useless without an accompanying plan to ensure family-sustaining wages and benefits for Maine workers," *said Jason J. Shedlock, an official with the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) and President of Maine's Building Trades Unions. *"For hundreds of union Laborers, Electricians and Operating Engineers, the NECEC project provided a years-long opportunity for these proud Mainers to be part of the solution right here at home, further proving that high road labor and an economy that works for all Mainers go hand in hand. We applaud the Mills Administration for their critical support for a project that once again demonstrated what Maine's labor movement does best: build community by building Maine."

In 2019, Governor Mills directed the Governor's Energy Office (now Department of Energy Resources) to participate in the original NECEC stipulation to ensure transparency, accountability, and meaningful benefits for Maine people.

By delivering renewable hydropower to New England, the NECEC project is expected to significantly reduce carbon emissions, according to PUC studies, while improving grid reliability and helping reduce electricity price volatility.

The project, fully paid for by Massachusetts, was constructed under one of the most stringent environmental permitting processes in Maine's history, which included extensive mitigation measures and the permanent conservation of 50,000 acres in western Maine to protect wildlife, natural resources, and working forests.

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