Hydro-Québec won in 2018 a major call for proposals launched by Massachusetts to source clean energy. Quebec hydroelectricity will replace electricity produced from fossil fuels. In total, the equivalent of emissions from over 700,000 cars will be avoided each year.
Hydro-Québec’s American partner, Central Maine Power, is responsible for the design and construction of the new power transmission line on the United States side.
Read Michel C. Auger’s column
The line crosses Maine and feeds this state on the way. After three years of reviews and public consultations during which citizens had the opportunity to make their voices heard, the project obtained all the required permits and responded favorably to Maine’s many legal obligations. In the end, the authorities considered the project to be in the public interest, for environmental and economic reasons.
Construction began 12 months ago and nearly US $ 450 million has been invested so far by our partner. More than 80% of this 230 km overhead line is now under construction. And opponents have been clear about the landfill: they wouldn’t want more if the line went underground.
By comparison, the New Hampshire project mentioned in the column had not received its permits and construction had not started when the state decided not to proceed.
The American “big oil & gas”, which will lose a significant volume of sales, deployed considerable efforts and invested colossal sums in order to stop the project in Maine.
An unprecedented situation
The result of last week’s referendum puts the project in an unprecedented position. Less than 25% of voters in Maine voted in favor of a retroactive bill that would invalidate the permits received and which aims to block the construction of new lines.
We respect the point of view of those who have spoken. However, we believe that fundamental questions must be answered before one of North America’s largest decarbonization projects is halted.
The Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Maine provide protections and guarantees for those who have acquired rights after obtaining the permits and who have undertaken a project in good faith.
Can we change the rules after the fact? Can permits be withdrawn from a project once it has met all the requirements of the authorities mandated to enforce the law?
The courts will have to rule on the constitutionality and legality of such a law in the coming months. Until then, we hope that the project will continue … especially since the Supreme Court of Maine rejected a similar referendum initiative in 2020.
At Hydro-Quebec, we refuse to give up in the face of competitors in the fossil fuel sector who are trying to derail a clean energy project that is promising for society, which has received significant support from both sides of the frontier.
What do you think? Express your opinion