Massachusetts Gets Cleaner Power as Cross-Border Transmission Line Goes Live

The 145-mile New England Clean Energy Connect line delivering 1,200 MW of Quebec hydroelectric power to Massachusetts is now operational, promising cheaper, lower-emission electricity under a 20-year fixed-price contract that could save ratepayers about $50 million annually; the project faced years of delays, regulatory battles, and a 2021 Maine referendum that halted work and inflated costs, but construction resumed in 2023, highlighting the region’s need for more high-voltage transmission as demand rises and renewables grow, with ongoing regional coordination emphasized.