CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (February 21, 2019)—Central Maine Power reached an agreement with the Mills administration, consumer, business, labor and some environmental groups on the terms of the New England Clean Energy Connect project, which will import Canadian hydropower into the New England electric grid.
Below is a statement by Ken Kimmell, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“All of the New England states have set goals to reduce heat-trapping emissions by 80 percent or more by 2050. Achieving these economywide targets will require the Northeast electricity sector to be essentially carbon-free by that time. This will be a major challenge, and the region will need to wisely deploy all of the tools in the toolbox.
“This plan to responsibly import Canadian hydropower will complement local and regional investments in energy efficiency measures, solar, offshore wind, and storage. It will create new construction jobs, cut air pollution, and reduce the Northeast’s overreliance on natural gas and oil. Finally, the project will especially benefit Maine residents by lowering their monthly electric bills and providing funds for electric vehicle infrastructure and efficient heat pumps, which will help Mainers wean themselves off fossil fuels.”