US gives big boost to N.E. power
Line from Canada to run through Vt., N.H.
WASHINGTON — The Energy Department on Monday announced $1.3 billion to help build three large power lines across six states, including one that will help New England access to Canadian hydropower.
The funding is part of a new gusher of money from Washington to upgrade America’s electric grids so they can handle more wind and solar power and better tolerate extreme weather.
The agency said it will commit to buy capacity on the transmission line and become an “anchor customer” to help the Twin States Clean Energy Link obtain financing for the 1,200 megawatt line from Quebec through Vermont and New Hampshire. Construction of the line, being developed by the utility National Grid, is set to begin in 2026.
When finished, the transmission project would also carry offshore wind power generated in New England back to Canada.
National Grid said the project, which was supported by governors in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts, would save electric ratepayers $8.3 billion over 12 years. It will be built underground along roadways and along existing transmission corridors, a bid to blunt environmental concerns that have stalled other power line projects in northern New England.
“This is an important step forward for Twin States as we work to make the project a reality for the region,” said National Grid’s New England president, Stephen Woerner. “This project would be a win for the New England region, and we thank our stakeholders and the many route communities for their strong support.”
It’s part of a broader effort by New England states and the Biden administration to improve access to cleaner sources of energy and gradually reduce carbon emissions from gas and coalfired power plants.
But officials warned that the $1.3 bil
lion awarded Monday won’t be nearly enough. In a report published the same day, the Energy Department said the nation’s vast network of transmission lines may need to expand by two-thirds or more by 2035 to meet President Biden’s clean energy goals.
“We need to seriously build out transmission,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said.
Unlike, say, the interstate highway system, the federal government has limited authority to direct planning of electric grids, which form a patchwork across the country, each overseen by different operators and each facing their own unique challenges.
The Biden administration wants to use the limited tools at its disposal.
As part of the bipartisan infrastructure law in 2021, Congress approved more than $20 billion to upgrade power grids. One slice of that money went out the door Monday, to Twin States and two other projects: a 748megawatt power line carrying renewable energy from New Mexico to Arizona and a 1,500megawatt line linking Utah and Nevada.
The Energy Department said it hopes to give developers confidence to move forward with these projects. The government would later sell its rights to private customers and replenish its funds, so that it could help other grid proposals.
“This is an extremely promising program,” said Rob Gramlich, president of the consulting group Grid Strategies, but he noted that with $2.5 billion it can only support “a very small set of lines.”