FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Augusta, ME — January 8, 2020 — CMP is pleased to announce that the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) received a key state approval today from Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC). With an added condition to ensure the company maintains buffering measures at the Kennebec River gorge area, the Commission voted 5-2 to issue site law certification to CMP to build an electric transmission line to deliver clean hydro power from the Maine/Quebec border to Lewiston, Maine.
“We are pleased that the LUPC has voted in favor of this project. We appreciate that the Commissioners and staff thoroughly analyzed and reviewed the project to ensure it conforms with statute requirements. This approval marks a major milestone for the NECEC and for the region’s efforts to secure a future for clean, reliable energy,” said Doug Herling, president and CEO of Central Maine Power. “The New England Clean Energy Connect will deliver environmental, economic, energy security, power reliability and other benefits for Maine and for consumers throughout New England.”
The NECEC is planned to provide 1,200 megawatts of transmission capacity and deliver clean, renewable electricity to the New England grid from hydro-power resources in Québec and was proposed in response to a solicitation by Massachusetts utilities to support that state’s Global Warming Solutions Act, which set goals to increase supplies of electricity from clean, renewable sources for Massachusetts consumers.
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About CMP: Central Maine Power Company (CMP), a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc., is Maine’s largest electricity transmission and distribution utility. Established in 1899 and based in Augusta, Maine, CMP serves approximately 624,000 customers across 346 communities in central and southern Maine. It operates approximately 23,500 miles of distribution lines and 2,900 miles of transmission lines. Over the last decade, the company has invested approximately $2.6 billion in Maine system infrastructure. In 2019, CMP was named Large Business of the Year by the Kennebec Valley United Way. For more information, visit www.cmpco.com.
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. AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving 3.3 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.
Media Contact:
Catharine Hartnett
Catharine.Hartnett@Avangrid.com
207.629-1555 (office)
207.458-3510 (cell)