The Maine Public Utilities Commission today issued a Request for Proposals for 1,200 MW of wind power in Aroostook County and a transmission line to carry the new lower cost, reliable clean energy to electricity customers across Maine.
In response, the Natural Resources Council of Maine issued the following statement from Climate & Clean Energy Director Jack Shapiro:
“Bringing lower-cost sources of homegrown clean energy online is the best opportunity we have to make electricity more affordable and reliable for Maine people while reducing the pollution that makes climate change worse.
Unlocking the enormous wind energy potential in Northern Maine will help the region move away from expensive and dirty fossil fuels like natural gas that are responsible for high energy prices while delivering economic benefits to local communities in Aroostook County.
As these projects move forward, our experts will be evaluating them carefully to make sure the developers abide by the highest community engagement and environmental standards.”
The regional electric grid operator, ISO-NE, is undergoing a parallel procurement process, the Long-Term Transmission Planning (LTTP) process, which will increase overall transmission capacity in New England, as well as accommodate the large amounts of wind energy anticipated to come from Northern Maine. By recognizing Maine’s renewable energy sources as significant across all of New England, the ISO-NE’s planning effort is expected to result in hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for electricity customers in Maine.
