CEAC-2020-08-August

News
Maine Secures Deal for Discounted
Energy From Hydro Quebec
By David Sharp | Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Hydro Quebec has sweetened
the pot for Maine under a $1 billion transmission project to
bring hydropower to the New England power grid by agreeing
to provide discounted energy to the state, Gov. Janet
Mills announced July 10.
Hydro Quebec will provide enough discounted power for
about 70,000 homes or 10,000 businesses, and will also
accelerate delivery of $170 million in benefits negotiated last
year, the governor said.
The commitment addresses criticism that the project, spearheaded
by Massachusetts to meet its clean energy goals,
would benefit only Massachusetts and not Maine residents.
“I have heard people say that (the project) will deliver power
directly to Massachusetts but not to Maine. With this new
commitment, we ensure that Maine consumers access power
directly from the line at a discounted price,” Mills said in a
statement.
The agreement calls for Maine to buy up to 500 megawatt
hours of electricity at a discount of $4 per megawatt hour,
or about 12 percent, for 20 years, officials said. The amount
of electricity subject to the discount is about one-tenth of
the annual output of the Maine Yankee nuclear power plant
when it was in operation, said Andrew Landry, deputy public
advocate.
every $100 Mainers spend on electricity.
“This new package is nothing more than smoke and mirrors
designed to deceive Mainers,” said Tom Saviello from No
CMP Corridor.
Central Maine Power and Hydro Quebec previously agreed
to $258 million in incentives in Maine that would boost
the number of electric vehicle charging stations, subsidize
heat pumps, improve rural high-speed Internet, and help
low-income ratepayers. Many of those benefits will now
begin upon final approval of permits, instead of the date of
commercial operation, Mills said.
Public Advocate Barry Hobbins said the new commitment
“adds to the already significant stipulation that was negotiated
for this project and ensures that Maine ratepayers will
receive lower-cost electricity.”
The New England Clean Energy Connect calls for construc-
POWER SYSTEMS
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Sue Ely from the Natural Resources Council of Maine, which
opposes the project, called it a “piddly amount,” especially
compared with recent rate increases by Central Maine Power.
She suggested that the rate increase amounts to 16 cents per
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| Chief Engineer