AVANGRID subsidiary chosen to supply hydro power to New England

Published on March 30, 2018 by Kevin Randolph


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AVANGRID, Inc. and its subsidiary Central Maine Power Company (CMP) confirmed Wednesday that Massachusetts approved its proposed New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) transmission project.

The project, a 1200 megawatt high-voltage direct current transmission line linking the electrical grids in Québec and New England, is the sole clean energy solution chosen in the Massachusetts Green Communities Act Section 83D request for proposals (RFP) for long-term contracts for clean energy projects.

CMP proposed the $950 million project in a joint bid with Hydro-Québec for a twenty-year contract.

“The NECEC will supply renewable energy to Massachusetts for twenty years, and it will continue to deliver benefits for New England consumers for decades beyond,” AVANGRID CEO James P. Torgerson said. “It is another example of how the AVANGRID companies are providing effective solutions to the region’s complex energy challenges. We are committed to investing in clean energy infrastructure, and delivering on the promise of the NECEC proposal.”

Massachusetts invited CMP to begin negotiations with electric utilities in February as an alternative to the conditional selection of the Northern Pass Transmission proposal, which the Massachusetts electric distribution companies recently terminated.

The New England Petroleum Council, a division of the American Petroleum Institute (API), welcomed the announcement but also called for new natural gas pipelines in New England.

“While today’s announcement is a step in the right direction, New England shouldn’t be forced to import its electricity from Canada because we can’t get additional natural gas pipelines in the region,” New England Petroleum Council Executive Director Stephen Dodge said. “Moving forward, there’s no doubt that we need to embrace all forms of energy including renewables, hydropower and clean natural gas – whether it be importing LNG or increasing access to affordable natural gas supplies located just a few hundred miles away in Pennsylvania.”

The distribution companies will continue contract negotiations with the NECEC project. If the distribution companies agree on contract terms for the NECEC proposal, the agreements are expected to be filed with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities by April 25 date as stipulated in the 83D RFP.

“Our applications for state and federal permits continue to move forward with the strong support of communities and stakeholders in Maine,” CMP President and CEO Doug Herling said. “We believe the NECEC is a cost-effective response to Massachusetts’ needs. CMP has successfully built other large-scale projects here in our home state, so we’re confident we can meet our commitments to the Commonwealth.”