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Quebec's power reaches Massachusetts after a decade of delays

Quebec's power reaches Massachusetts after a decade of delays

Built World

The New England Clean Energy Connect is the region's largest transmission build in years—and a rare victory over fossil fuel opposition

January 25th, 2026: NECEC suspends deliveries during winter storm

Overview

Updated May 21

For 40 years, transmission bottlenecks and opposition blocked Hydro-Québec from selling more power to New England. On January 16, 2026, a 145-mile power line through Maine began delivering 1,200 megawatts of Canadian hydroelectricity to Massachusetts—20% of the state's needs and the largest clean energy transmission addition to the region in decades. The line went dark when a winter storm hit 10 days later.

The project survived a $90 million referendum campaign funded by fossil fuel generators, a Maine Supreme Court battle, and an 18-month construction halt. Massachusetts ratepayers get a 20-year fixed-price contract projected to save $50 million annually. When extreme cold spiked demand in Quebec on January 25-26, Hydro-Québec suspended deliveries when New England needed power most—triggering contract penalties and raising questions about whether this hard-won project can deliver firm, dispatchable power.

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Key Indicators

1,200 MW
Transmission capacity
Enough to power roughly 1.2 million homes
~20%
Share of Massachusetts electricity
Single largest clean energy source for the state
$50M
Annual ratepayer savings
Under a 20-year fixed-price contract
$90M+
Spent opposing the project
Largely by fossil fuel generators NextEra, Calpine, and Vistra
$1.6B
Total capital expenditure
Absorbed by Avangrid including $500M in delay overruns
50,000
Acres conserved
Permanent conservation creating one of Maine's largest protected areas

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People Involved

Charlie Baker
Charlie Baker
Former Governor of Massachusetts (2015-2023)
Now President of NCAA
 Maura Healey
Maura Healey
Governor of Massachusetts
In office since January 2023
 Janet Mills
Janet Mills
Governor of Maine
In office since January 2019
 Thorn Dickinson
Thorn Dickinson
CEO & President, NECEC Transmission LLC
Led project through permitting, litigation, and construction

Organizations Involved

Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec
Provincial Crown utility
Power supplier under 20-year contract

Quebec's state-owned utility and North America's largest hydroelectric producer.
Avangrid
Avangrid
Utility Holding Company
Project developer (subsidiary of Iberdrola)

Connecticut-based utility holding company owned by Spanish multinational Iberdrola.
NextEra Energy, Inc.
NextEra Energy, Inc.
Electric utility and power developer
Lead funder of opposition campaign

Florida-based utility that owns fossil fuel and nuclear plants competing with NECEC power.
ISO New England
ISO New England
Regional Transmission Organization
Grid operator integrating NECEC power

Independent grid operator for the six New England states.

Timeline

August 2016 January 2026

15 events Latest: January 25th, 2026 · 7 months ago Showing 8 of 15
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. NECEC suspends deliveries during winter storm

    Latest Operations

    Hydro-Québec halts power deliveries via NECEC during extreme cold snap, prioritizing domestic Quebec demand. New England fires up oil-fueled turbines to compensate, significantly increasing emissions. Massachusetts officials confirm Hydro-Québec faces penalties under 20-year contract terms.

  2. Commercial operations begin

    Operations

    NECEC begins delivering 1,200 MW of Quebec hydropower to Massachusetts.

  3. Final permit secured

    Regulatory

    Avangrid announces construction will complete by year-end after securing final state permit.

  4. Jury verdict clears construction

    Legal

    Maine jury rules in favor of NECEC, allowing full construction to resume.

  5. Maine Supreme Court overturns referendum

    Legal

    Court rules citizen initiative cannot retroactively invalidate a valid state lease.

  6. Construction halted

    Legal

    At Governor Mills' request, NECEC suspends work pending court review of referendum.

  7. Maine voters reject corridor 59-41%

    Referendum

    After $90 million campaign largely funded by fossil fuel companies, voters approve retroactive ban on transmission corridors.

  8. DOE grants Presidential Permit

    Regulatory

    Department of Energy issues final major permit; construction begins.

  9. Army Corps issues permit

    Regulatory

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers grants wetlands permit, a key federal approval.

  10. Maine PUC approves corridor

    Regulatory

    Maine Public Utilities Commission grants Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity.

  11. Maine Governor Mills endorses project

    Political

    After securing $250 million in benefits for Maine, Mills announces support for NECEC.

  12. FERC approves NECEC

    Regulatory

    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission grants approval for the transmission project.

  13. Massachusetts selects NECEC as replacement

    Contract

    After Northern Pass falls through, state utilities sign 20-year contracts with NECEC for 9.45 TWh annually.

  14. New Hampshire rejects Northern Pass

    Regulatory

    Site Evaluation Committee unanimously denies permits for Eversource's 192-mile transmission line through New Hampshire.

  15. Massachusetts authorizes clean energy procurement

    Legislation

    Governor Baker signs Energy Diversity Act requiring utilities to procure 1,200 MW of clean energy via new transmission.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1986-1990

Phase II Transmission Line (1990)

Hydro-Québec completed the 450-kV DC Phase II line from James Bay to Massachusetts, establishing a 1,200-1,400 MW connection that became the region's single largest power source. The project required a decade of planning and construction across multiple jurisdictions.

Then

New England gained access to firm, dispatchable Canadian hydropower for the first time at scale.

Now

Phase II has delivered over 100 billion kWh since completion. But its capacity became a ceiling—Hydro-Québec wanted to export more, but lacked transmission to do so until NECEC.

Why this matters now

NECEC effectively doubles the transmission capacity between Quebec and New England, breaking a 35-year constraint. The Phase II experience also demonstrated that cross-border transmission projects can operate reliably for decades once built.

2008-2019

Northern Pass Rejection (2018)

Eversource proposed a 192-mile transmission line through New Hampshire to deliver 1,000 MW of Hydro-Québec power to Massachusetts. After a decade of development and $318 million in spending, New Hampshire's Site Evaluation Committee unanimously rejected the project in February 2018, citing harm to tourism and rural communities. The state Supreme Court upheld the rejection in 2019.

Then

Eversource wrote off $200 million. Massachusetts pivoted to NECEC as the backup bidder.

Now

The failure demonstrated that local opposition could kill even well-funded transmission projects—and that alternative routes through less populous areas might face less resistance.

Why this matters now

NECEC succeeded where Northern Pass failed partly because Maine's corridor crossed less populated territory and developers negotiated substantial community benefits. The Northern Pass failure added 2-3 years to New England's timeline for receiving Canadian hydropower.

December 2022

Winter Storm Elliott Grid Crisis (2022)

A severe cold snap stressed the Eastern U.S. power grid. In New England, 2,150 MW of generation failed to start—70% from gas plants that couldn't secure fuel. ISO-NE declared a capacity deficiency. Nine Mid-Atlantic states experienced rolling blackouts.

Then

The crisis exposed New England's over-reliance on gas generation that competes with home heating for limited pipeline capacity.

Now

ISO-NE launched the Inventoried Energy Program to pay generators for maintaining backup fuel supplies. The event strengthened arguments for diverse, non-gas power sources.

Why this matters now

NECEC's 1,200 MW of hydropower—dispatchable regardless of gas pipeline constraints—directly addresses the reliability gap exposed by Winter Storm Elliott. Canadian hydropower output is highest in winter, precisely when New England's gas system is most strained.

Sources

(17)
+11
WBUR Boston Globe Mass.gov Central Maine Avangrid Utility Dive Hydro-Québec NECEC Iberdrola TDI Maine.gov RTO Insider The Energy Mix Canary Media Avangrid Boston Globe Mass.gov