Mills, 2 Environmental Groups Back CMP’s $1 Billion Western Maine Transmission Project
Gov. Janet Mills holds up a pound of carbon at a press conference at the Portland Jetport on Thursday. Photo by Fred Bever for Maine Public
Gov. Janet Mills and two environmental groups are signing on to Central Maine Power’s bid to build a controversial new transmission line through western Maine’s forests. That significantly broadens the coalition of interests supporting the project, but the deal is also drawing fire from other environmental groups, grassroots opponents and some renewable energy developers in Maine.
The New England Clean Energy Connect, as it’s called, would bring electricity from Hydro-Quebec’s vast dam system through Maine to serve Massachusetts customers — enough electricity to power one million homes. Mills has now formally signed on to an agreement among supporters that includes a variety of incentives CMP and Hydro-Quebec are offering.
“That stipulation includes benefits to the economy, substantial benefits to Maine ratepayers and substantial benefits to our efforts to combat climate change across this state and across the region,” Mills says.