The U.S. Department of Energy announced one of the largest federal investments in energy development in Maine, according to a Thursday news release from Gov. Janet Mills’ office.
The federal department is awarding up to $425 million to Avangrid, the parent company of Central Maine Power, in a capacity contract for the Aroostook Renewable Project, a proposed clean energy transmission line that would connect a substation in Haynesville to the Independent System Operator-New England in Pittsfield with a 111-mile transmission line with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts.
“By expanding our transmission infrastructure, this investment can make the electric grid more stable and reliable and allow us to harness affordable, clean energy generated right here in our own backyard instead of having to import expensive and harmful fossil fuels from out-of-state,” Mills said.
The project could not only provide low-cost clean energy generated in northern Maine, but also more than 4,200 construction jobs and 30 permanent operations jobs, according to a news release from the U.S. DOE.
But there are still a few steps before the project can come to fruition. It needs to be approved by the state’s Public Utilities Commission and undergo state and federal permitting processes, as explained by the environmental advocacy organization Natural Resources Council of Maine.
“Responsible development of new homegrown clean energy sources like wind and solar creates good-paying jobs, helps to stabilize electricity prices, and reduces the air pollution that is fueling climate change and harming our health,” said Jack Shapiro, climate and clean energy director.
The Maine Legislature approved a bill that was signed by Mills in June 2023 that called for a clean energy project in northern Maine. An initial effort to move forward with the project fell apart in the face of some local opposition, but the PUC restarted the process earlier this year.
