New England Clean Energy Connect begins delivering power to Massachusetts, officials say

At a State House ceremony, the Governor announced that the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line is now delivering hydroelectric power from Quebec into Massachusetts. "Because today, we celebrate the fact that the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line is now on," the Governor said, adding that the line is providing about 1,200 megawatts and roughly 20% of the state's electricity supply.

The administration framed the project as a major step toward lowering energy bills and expanding clean supply. The Governor said the project will lower electricity bills by $50,000,000 a year and estimated roughly $3,000,000,000 in savings over 20 years. He also cited a pending energy-affordability bill the administration has filed, which he said is expected to save ratepayers about $13,000,000,000.

"Transmission allows us to unlock that generation that is there," Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said, describing coordinated work with ISO New England on a first-of-its-kind transmission procurement and interregional efforts with neighboring states. Tepper thanked Department of Energy Resources and attorney general's office staff for detailed work on RFP wording, proposal analysis and contract negotiation.

Serge Abergel of Hydro-Québec said deliveries have begun and described the expected environmental benefits: "the equivalent emissions of 700,000 cars will be avoided every year for the next 20 years," he said, and he thanked the more than 2,000 workers who built the transmission line. Project partners at Avangrid and Hydro-Québec were acknowledged during the ceremony.

Officials also noted outstanding legal and implementation issues. The Governor said litigation has been filed related to the project and called for federal administration support to ensure the project continues to move forward. He reiterated that the line is already powering an estimated 250,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts and said the administration will continue to pursue offshore wind, solar, storage and other measures to increase supply and lower costs.

The ceremony concluded with officials flipping the switch at the State House platform and opening the floor to on-topic questions. No formal votes or regulatory decisions were announced at the event; speakers described the day as a milestone in a multi-year effort and said work remains to fully implement and defend the project.