Maine Business, Environmental and Labor Leaders Gather in Portland to Support Major Renewable Energy Project

Maine Business, Environmental and Labor Leaders Gather in Portland to Support Major Renewable Energy Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Transmission project will create more than 1,600 jobs, deliver $1 billion of investment in Maine infrastructure for a more reliable grid, and reduce energy prices and carbon emissions

 
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PORTLAND, Maine – Feb. 20, 2020 – More than 50 Maine business, labor and environmental leaders gathered today to show their support for the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project, a $1 billion renewable energy investment project which would bring renewable hydropower from Quebec. The event, hosted by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), the company that is building the project, included participants such as IBEW 104, Cianbro and Glidden Mat.

Glidden Mat of Parkman, along with Oxford Timber of Oxford and Maine Timber Mats of New Portland, are the three Maine-based lumber mills that last week were awarded contracts to manufacture mats that will be used in the construction process to limit the impact of heavy machinery on the landscape.  

“On the heels of the announcement of the $12 million investment in Maine businesses, it is terrific to see the opportunities that an investment in the future of our energy grid will mean for Maine businesses and workers. Just as we saw with the Maine Power Reliability Program, these projects benefit Mainers all over the state,” said Dana Connors, the president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce.

“Not only will NECEC reduce carbon emissions by 3 million metric tons annually, reduce energy costs, and strengthen the regional electric grid, it will also have an immediate and positive impact on the Maine economy,” said Thorn Dickinson, Vice President of Business Development for AVANGRID. “As we get closer to starting construction, these types of contracts are just some of the tangible benefits this project will deliver to Mainers and Maine communities.”

“This project creates job security for our 16 employees, and enables us to update equipment here in Maine,” said Pete Glidden, the owner of Glidden Mat. “From logging crews to machinists to trucking companies and the taxes to local communities, projects like these support working forest jobs all over the timber supply chain in this state.”

“Building electrical infrastructure is our area of expertise, but on a fairly consistent basis, our line workers, apprentices, equipment operators, truck drivers and groundmen find themselves traveling to other states for work,” said Tim Burgess, the assistant business manager for IBEW Local 104. “When a project like the NECEC comes along, they all look forward to showcasing their skills in their home state.”

“In addition to the climate change issue, which greatly disturbs me, I am profoundly persuaded by the economic benefits that will accrue to the state of Maine and to Maine people as a result of this project,” said Richard Barringer, former Commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation. 

“The NECEC project is one of the most significant projects to be built in Maine’s history. The project will expand Maine’s tax base and economy and create jobs, all while providing renewable energy to the New England Power Pool without any cost to the people of Maine,” said Peter Vigue, Chairman, The Cianbro Companies.

“This project will provide clean, renewable and low-cost energy for New England and Maine, and represents a major investment in Maine’s economy, creating jobs and supporting economic development,” said Pedro Azagra Blázquez, Chief Development Officer at IBERDROLA and board member at AVANGRID.

AVANGRID also announced today that it has taken steps per state regulatory direction to separate NECEC from Central Maine Power by appointing Tony Marone as chair and Thorn Dickinson as CEO & president of NECEC Transmission LLC, which will own and develop NECEC after receiving regulatory approvals. The transfer of NECEC is required by the Maine Public Utilities Commission’s order approving a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the project.

ABOUT THE NECEC PROJECT

The New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) is a $950m investment that will deliver 1,200 megawatts of renewable hydropower to the New England energy grid in Lewiston, Maine. All the costs will be paid for by Massachusetts electric customers. Once built, the NECEC would be New England’s largest source of renewable energy, representing a fundamental shift away from fossil fuels and at the same time lowering energy costs in Maine and New England.

The transmission line will be built on a 150-foot-wide, 145-mile transmission line on land owned and controlled by CMP. Two-thirds of the project follows existing power lines created for the state’s hydroelectric industry almost a century ago. The remaining 55 miles of new corridor will run through commercial working forest. Construction will begin as soon as final environmental permits are received, expected in Q2 2020, with the construction completed and the line in service by December 2022. 

The NECEC project includes a $200 million upgrade to Maine’s energy grid, making Maine’s electricity service more reliable, and it will allow more producers of renewable energy here in Maine to get their energy on the grid. And because the corridor project will result in more clean hydro power, it will reduce the use of fossil fuels, cutting three million tons of dirty emissions each year. 

The NECEC will also deliver significant economic benefits to Maine in the region, including lower electricity prices, increased local real estate taxes and reduced energy costs, as well as benefits like expanded fiber optic cable for broadband service in Somerset and Franklin counties, and funding of economic development for Western Maine.

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About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a leading, sustainable energy company with approximately $34 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states. With headquarters in Orange, Connecticut, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving 3.2 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates 7.2 gigawatts of electricity capacity, primarily through wind power, with a presence in 22 states across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 6,500 people. AVANGRID supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2019 by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com. 

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