Though the project would mostly be built in existing transmission right of ways, it did require clearing a 150-foot wide corridor through 54 miles of forest in western Maine. Almost immediately, the plan encountered much of the same pushback as the New Hampshire proposal. There were lawsuits and regulatory delays, and many Maine residents questioned why their state should sacrifice pristine forest for the benefit of Massachusetts customers.

Despite promises from Avangrid that the ecological impacts of the project would be minimal, a powerful alliance of local environmentalists and fossil fuel companies — some of which stood to lose money if the power line was built — took root. This effort culminated in a 2021 ballot referendum in Maine to revoke a key permit for the project, which had already begun construction.

Advocates and opponents of the transmission line poured more than $90 million into the campaign, and in the end, nearly 60% of Maine voters rejected the project. Construction was halted, the developers sued. In April 2023, a Maine jury verdict paved the way for construction to resume.

The year-and-a-half delay caused the project’s price tag to balloon by more than $500 million dollars — an increase that Massachusetts ratepayers are on the hook to pick up. Even so, electric customers in the state are expected to come out ahead.

The projected annual savings are small — around $18-$20 per household, according to the governor’s office. But with power demand rising, the actual savings could grow over time, said Boyd Rabin of the Environmental League of Massachusetts.

Residents of Maine will also benefit from the transmission line. As part of the contract negotiations, Gov. Janet Mills arranged for Hydro-Québec to sell some discounted electricity to the state through the new transmission line. The deal is expected to save ratepayers at least at least $14 million annually. The project developers have also agreed to invest millions in residential energy efficiency programs, job creation, broadband internet access and conservation efforts in the state. And they’ve promised to help defray the cost of heat pumps for low-income residents, and make investments in Maine’s electrical infrastructure.

A model for the future of power transmission lines in the US in several ways. The negative is the push back infrastructure improvements will get from all side which will caused a bloom in cost, but the positive is an ROI and community improvement which succeeds in spite of the push back.

As a project though, it shows how far behind we as Americans are from the ability for China to build fast and adapt fast. China’s Qinghai-Henan line 493-mile-per-year construction rate, dwarfs the US capacity to build, and it’s mostly because of red tape. Qualitatively, the New England line might be better in it’s cautious approach from several stand points, but I think the US has lost perspective on it’s economic dominance.