The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) has granted final permitting approval for the project. The decision confirms that the NECEC has met or exceeded all environmental standards established by the MDEP and that the current design is the best route for the project. The MDEP decision adds several new conditions which make an incredibly good project even better. These include narrowing the width of the corridor from 150 feet to 54 feet, the preservation of 40,000 acres of land and the allocation of nearly $2 million to replace culverts along or near the project route. The next permit in the process is from the Army Corps of Engineers, and we continue to plan on breaking ground on the NECEC later this year.
