The Régie de l’énergie du Canada has granted Hydro-Québec the necessary permit to build the transmission line that will cross the border to allow it to reach the Massachusetts market.
Posted on May 20, 2021 at 9:00 p.m.
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This is the last authorization required before starting construction of the Quebec portion of the interconnection, which will join the line already under construction in the State of Maine. The project received the approval of the Quebec government on April 7.
The President and CEO of Hydro-Québec was delighted with the Régie’s decision. “We are moving forward with a project that meets the highest standards in terms of environment and engineering, and which is viewed favorably by the various host communities,” she commented in a press release.
The commission of the Régie de l’énergie which examined the project concluded that it was in the public interest, despite the opposition expressed by certain groups, in particular the Innu Nation, which denounced the profits expected by Hydro-Québec. “The Commission is of the opinion that an increase in profits, which would result from the production of electricity on the entire Hydro-Québec network, cannot be considered as a prejudicial effect on the rights of the Innu Nation. through the issuance of a permit, ”ruled the regulatory body.
The portion of the line covered by the federal permit extends over 100 kilometers between Saint-Adrien-d’Irlande, near Thetford Mines, to the Maine border. It will require an investment of 600 million. Work will begin over the next few weeks.
The commissioning of the new interconnection to Massachusetts is still scheduled for 2023, even if the project risks being compromised by a referendum to be held on the project in the state of Maine this fall. The power line will transport 1,200 megawatts of hydroelectricity from Quebec to New England and supply Massachusetts with 9.45 terawatt hours of hydroelectricity.
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