WHO WE ARE
The New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) is a fully permitted transmission line project that will connect 1,200 MW of power to the New England electrical grid in Lewiston, ME. Once complete, it will be New England’s largest source of renewable energy. Project components include 54 miles of new transmission lines, upgrading 91 miles of existing transmission lines, construction of a new converter station, a new substation, and multiple system upgrades. The project will result in lower energy prices for Maine, and it will remove 3.0 – 3.6 million metric tons of carbon from the air each year.
The NECEC is a project of Avangrid Inc, a leading sustainable energy company with $41 billion in assets and operating in 24 U.S. states. Headquartered in Orange, CT, Avangrid has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables.
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CONSTRUCTION BEGINS
2021
On January 14, 2021 the US Department of Energy issued NECEC the Presidential Permit, thus successfully completing all major permitting. Construction began in early 2021.
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FINAL PERMIT APPROVAL BEFORE CONSTRUCTION
2020
On November 6, 2020, NECEC reached a major milestone and received its U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permit. Earlier in 2020 NECEC received its Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) – Site Location of Development, Natural Resources Protection Act permit (May 11, 2020) and its Certification for Transmission Facilities in Unorganized Territories from the Maine Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) on January 8, 2020.
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CPCN
2019
Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) approved the project's Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN)on May 3, 2019. The certificate states that the NECEC project will deliver significant economic, environmental, and reliability benefits for the people of Maine.
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FERC APPROVAL
2018
NECEC received Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval on October 19, 2018.
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
2017
The outreach and permitting process began.