A subsidiary of national energy company Con Edison Inc. is proposing a major new transmission line in northern Maine.
Con Ed is calling it the Maine Power Link. Plans call for a 1,200 megawatt, high-voltage alternating current transmission line that could connect to the regional grid and unlock the potential for solar, wind and biomass energy projects in the state's vast northern interior.
"We think it's very advantageous and helps Maine to become in essence a clean energy hub for Maine and for the rest of New England," says Stuart Nachmias, the CEO of Con Edison Transmission, which has worked on several energy projects in Maine.
Nachmias says the company was immediately interested when the state Public Utilities Commission sent out its a request for bids last year. He says the company has been engaging stakeholders for several months now.
Eliza Donoghue, advocacy director for Maine Audubon, says the group isn't making judgments yet. But she says that Con Ed's willlingess to talk before securing a specific route contrasts with the way Central Maine Power handled outreach for its big transmission project in western Maine.
"And that's really encouraging," she says. "We need a lot more transmission capacity if we're going to build out renewable energy the way that we need to. And we need to be really mindful about where we're going to put that transmission."
The PUC declined to say how many bids it's received. Responses to a second solicitation — this one to produce the actual electricity the new power line would carry — are due in May.
https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2022-02-25/con...}
https://www.mainepublic.org/2022-03-02/con-ed-subsidiary-submits-pr...
Con Edison proposes new power transmission line from Aroostook County
A subsidiary of energy delivery giant Consolidated Edison Inc. is seeking to connect planned energy projects in northern Maine to New England's electrical grid.
BY TUX TURKEL STAFF WRITER
EXCERPTS
Con Edison proposes new power transmission line from Aroostook County
A subsidiary of energy delivery giant Consolidated Edison Inc. is seeking to connect planned energy projects in northern Maine to New England's electrical grid.
A subsidiary of energy delivery giant Consolidated Edison Inc. is proposing a new transmission line aimed at connecting an anticipated fleet of wind, solar and biomass energy projects in northern Maine to New England’s electrical grid.
Con Edison Transmission Inc. announced plans Wednesday to build the Maine Power Link project, which could deliver up to 1,200 megawatts of renewable energy to the regional transmission system in southern Maine.
The proposal comes four months after Maine voters rejected ongoing efforts by Central Maine Power’s domestic parent company, Avangrid, to build the $1 billion New England Clean Energy Connect, or NECEC, transmission line through western Maine to connect the grid to hydroelectric power generated in Canada. That project, which has a capacity similar to the ConEd proposal, is partially built but on hold pending court challenges.
Two-thirds of the 145-mile NECEC project also follows existing rights-of-way, but environmental groups and others opposed the new 54-mile corridor that was cut through working forest in western Maine.
The Maine Power Link route would mostly follow existing utility rights-of-way, ConEd said. Those could involve corridors owned or controlled by CMP and Versant Power, the Oakfield wind farm in southern Aroostook County and its 59-mile Maine GenLead transmission line to Chester in Penboscot County, and the Maine Electric Power Co. or MEPCO line, which runs from Chester to Pittsfield, north of Waterville.
Where it’s necessary to expand or build new rights-of-way, the company said it plans to first meet with communities, environmental groups and other stakeholders before negotiating with landowners. There are no plans to put lines underground, it said.
The project was submitted to the Maine Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday. It’s a response to a bid process mandated by a law passed last year creating the Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program. The bill, L.D. 1710, was presented by Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash.
The bid process is confidential, but ConEd chose to make its proposal known Wednesday.
“We wanted to let the people of Maine know we’re in the mix,” said Stuart Nachmias, ConEd Transmission’s president and chief executive.
The renewable electricity that would move over the line is subject to a separate bid process for generation that’s underway at the PUC, with submissions due May 1. The PUC is scheduled to select the winning projects by Nov. 1.
“We cannot disclose any information about bids received at this stage in the procurement process,” the PUC said Wednesday. “The commission will carefully review all submissions consistent with the statutory guidance.”
If the Maine Power Link is selected by the PUC, Nachmias estimated, it could take up to four years to complete the project.
While Maine Power Link didn’t indicate how many average homes could be served by yet-unknown generators providing the transmission line with up to 1,200 megawatts of wind, solar and biomass energy, the NECEC project’s 1,200 megawatts of hydroelectric capacity is designed to meet the needs of 1.2 million residences.
TRANSPARENCY PROMISED
In announcing its project, ConEd appears to acknowledge what many see as a shortcoming of the NECEC process and has learned from that experience.
“The Maine Power Link team recognizes that its success or failure hinges on a robust, open and transparent siting process, engaging with stakeholders from Day 1, before any land is purchased or applications filed,” it said. “We view this as an essential step in our process to protect the environment and meet our energy goals.”
In an interview with the Press Herald on Wednesday, Nachmias also pointed out that the power would be produced in Maine – not Canada – and could help turn Aroostook County into a clean-energy hub......................
.........................
GROUPS PLEDGE SUPPORT
The Northern Maine Development Commission endorsed the project, saying it will provide hundreds of construction jobs.
“The renewable wind, solar and biomass energy projects it will facilitate will drive the demand for local businesses such as mills to produce timber products, fuel and aggregate suppliers, and heavy equipment rentals to support construction activities,” said Robert Clark, the commission’s executive director.
ConEd’s attempt to forge upfront agreements on a route has won early, tentative support from leading environmental groups with which it’s engaging.
“Maine Audubon is grateful to the team behind Maine Power Link for their proactive engagement as they work to locate their project in a manner that avoids environmental and ecological impacts to the greatest extent possible,” said Eliza Donoghue, Maine Audubon’s director of advocacy. “We are optimistic that early engagement with stakeholders, including conservation and clean energy advocates like Maine Audubon, will result in both more efficient processes and better environmental outcomes.”
The Natural Resources Council of Maine is a staunch opponent of the NECEC line. But Jack Shapiro, the council’s climate and clean energy director, said it’s taking a different tack on ConEd’s proposal.
“The bottom line is (the council) supports responsible, renewable energy and transmission development that delivers real climate benefits,” Shapiro said. “We really want to see the potential for developing significant new renewable projects in Aroostook County to be realized, and this could be a key step in that direction, especially if it can be done at a reasonable cost.”
The proposal also underscores a recognition that new transmission lines will be needed to move away from natural gas and oil generation, said Jeff Marks, Maine director and senior policy advocate at the Acadia Center........................
https://www.pressherald.com/2022/03/02/company-proposes-new-power-t...
Con Edison subsidiary submits proposal for northern Maine transmission project (BDN)
https://bangordailynews.com/2022/03/03/news/aroostook/con-edison-su...
*************************************
Fair Use Notice: This website may reproduce or have links to copyrighted material the use of which has not been expressly authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available, without profit, as part of our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, economic, scientific, and related issues. It is our understanding that this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided by law. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes that go beyond "fair use," you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
You need to be a member of Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power - Maine to add comments!
Join Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power - Maine