The Maine Public Utilities Commission announced the winning bids today for the Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program: a new 800-megawatt onshore wind farm in Aroostook County proposed by Clearway Energy Group, and a transmission line to Haynesville proposed by Avangrid.
Details of the proposals have been kept confidential so far. Clearway Energy is one of the largest owners of renewable energy generation projects in the United States. Avangrid is the U.S. subsidiary of Iberdrola that owns Central Maine Power.
The selections mark a significant milestone in the yearslong push to build transmission infrastructure capable of delivering new, utility-scale renewable energy to New England's electric grid. The Public Utilities Commission previously chose different winners following a 2021 request for proposals, but the projects fell through in 2023 without being built as costs rose following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Avangrid's transmission proposal appeared to be the most viable within "a commercially reasonable timeframe," said chair of the commission, Philip Bartlett. The proposal won the bid in large part because it would use existing transmission corridors where the company has already secured rights of way, he added.
Clearway Energy's proposed wind farm depends on the transmission line being built.
This time around, Maine is working together with four other New England states. This multi-state procurement process is unprecedented, according to the commissioners.
"I've not seen anything like this in the United States," said Commissioner Patrick Scully.
Maine's share of the transmission line costs is expected to be less than 11 percent, and the projects are expected to create 2,500 jobs in the state during construction.
The program is also expected to benefit the climate. Wind tends to blow most strongly in the winter when energy costs soar as oil generators need to be brought online. Having this additional renewable energy on the grid is expected to reduce oil-fueled power generation by more than 10 percent, according to Commissioner Carolyn Gilbert.
"This both reduces emissions and increases reliability and reduces costs," she said.
The Public Utilities Commission still needs to finalize contract terms with the two companies, and then the projects will need to apply for the necessary permits.
The transmission line is required to have 1200 megawatts of capacity, so 400 megawatts will still be available after the Clearway wind farm is built. The commission expects to issue another request for proposals for generation projects in Aroostook County to use that transmission capacity.