Back in 1955, the United States Congress reached the idea of an interstate highway system. Now, we
need a similar effort to build out a zero-carbon interconnected energy system in the United States.
We're seeing challenges across the country, whether it be California or Texas,
with the need for new infrastructure. And we see a lot of discussion now
the importance of transmission to help connect renewable energy but
help to make sure that our grid is stable and capable to move forward.
Right now, in Quebec, there is existing hydro resources that they haven't been able to get out
of the province. This transmission line will take that extra hydro energy that is really
being wasted right now and deliver it into the form of clean electricity into Lewiston, Maine.
It’s about two nuclear power plants size of energy. If you look at it from a sequestration
capability, it would be a similar to a forest, just about the size of Vermont,
pulling carbon out of the atmosphere every year. It's three to 3.6 million tons of carbon.
What this project does is it brings a new, huge source of baseload hydro energy
into the New England transmission grid.
Right now, we're on track with construction to have the line
and the converter station in service by the end of 2023.
72 percent of this project is on existing
transmission line right away like you see here behind us.
The other percentage was carefully sited so that we avoided sensitive
conservation areas in western Maine.
My biggest hope for the project is that everybody will see how beneficial this project has been and
will be to the state of Maine, both for achieving carbon reduction goals in the state of Maine,
but also the jobs and economic boost this project has brought to the region.
We have many states in the United States that are producers of coal, oil and gas.
We have many differences of opinion about the direction, but, fortunately, around 70 percent
of Americans in survey after survey say climate change is serious. We must go to renewables.
As the US is moving to a zero-carbon power system, building out the US grid,
and also interconnecting with Canada, Mexico and beyond, will become part of the strategy that's
already part of the infrastructure spending that is getting on to the books this year.