National Grid and Emera Inc., the parent company of Nova Scotia Power and Bangor Hydro-Electric Co., have announced plans to partner on the development of the Northeast Energy Link transmission connection.
National Grid will join Emera and Spectra Energy, which are working to evaluate the feasibility of a new electric transmission line from northern Maine and maritime Canada to supply energy to the southern New England market.
The Northeast Energy Link would provide the New England market with new access to a portfolio of existing and future renewable generation developments in both northern Maine and Atlantic Canada. This would provide reliable and cost-effective electricity to the growing New England market and assist state governments in achieving their environmental objectives.
According to Emera, additional benefits and market efficiencies include support of New England's renewable portfolio standard targets, stable electricity costs for New England customers and increased reliability within the New England Independent System Operators and the Maritime provinces.
The new transmission infrastructure would be built in a multi-phase project that would initially provide for 660 MW of electricity transfer from Atlantic Canada and northern Maine directly to Massachusetts.
