After a decade of legal battles and a failed voter referendum, New England’s “extension cord” to Canada is finally going live. (Canary Media)
The 1.2 GW New England Clean Energy Connect is scheduled to begin commercial operations this Friday, finally delivering on a 2016 Massachusetts law to import carbon-free hydropower from Hydro-Quebec via a 145-mile line through Maine.
Skepticism remains: Hydro-Quebec’s exports to the region have dropped significantly in recent years (stopping entirely for a period in 2025), leading some to fear the utility is merely shifting power flows rather than adding new capacity.