{"id":67425,"date":"2026-01-23T10:32:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T15:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spainuscc.org\/?post_type=news&#038;p=67425"},"modified":"2026-01-23T10:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T15:32:08","slug":"avangrids-new-england-clean-energy-connect-project-is-complete-and-energized","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/spainuscc.org\/es\/news\/avangrids-new-england-clean-energy-connect-project-is-complete-and-energized\/","title":{"rendered":"Avangrid\u2019s New England Clean Energy Connect Project Is Complete and Energized"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">1,200 MW of low-cost, baseload power is now connected to New England<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Orange, CT \u2014 Jan. 16, 2026 \u2014<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fAvangrid, Inc., a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, announced today that the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project is complete and energized. The NECEC stands as one of the region\u2019s largest sources of baseload energy, strengthening grid reliability and lowering energy costs. The project\u2019s commercial operation date is January 16, 2026.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">With the introduction of 1,200 MW of new hydropower into ISO-New England\u2019s system, the NECEC will diversify its power supply, strengthen grid stability, and mitigate risks to the grid during extreme weather events. At the same time, NECEC\u2019s low-cost energy supply and predictable pricing structure will help reduce fuel-related volatility, create a strategic hedge that enhances regional competitiveness, and reduce wholesale electricity prices, delivering long-term cost savings for New England ratepayers.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities found that the NECEC will save New England rate payers\u00a0$3.38 billion\u00a0over the 20-year of the life of the current contracts.\u00a0The Department further found that significant qualitative benefits will flow to customers under the contract in the areas of reliability, mitigated environmental impacts, and economic development.\u00a0The Department\u00a0ultimately found\u00a0that the\u00a0purchase\u00a0power agreements are a cost-effective mechanism for\u00a0procuring\u00a0low-cost energy on a long-term basis.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The NECEC transmission line consists of a new 145-mile-high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line from the Quebec-Maine border to the new Merrill Road converter substation\u00a0located\u00a0in Lewiston and new 1.2-mile 345 kV alternating current (AC) transmission line from the new Merrill Road converter substation to the existing Larrabee Road substation. The year-one property tax benefit to host communities is approximately $23 million.<\/span><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Avangrid\u2019s arrival\u00a0to\u00a0this point reflects an unwavering commitment to transparency, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. Over the past several years, the NECEC project has:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Obtained all major state and federal approvals under President Donald Trump, Massachusetts Governors Maura Healy and Charlie Baker, and Maine Governors Janet Mills and Paul Lepage\u2019s administrations. Approval includes the U.S.\u00a0Department of Energy\u2019s Presidential Permit and the Massachusetts legislature\u2019s authorization for price modification, signed into law by Governor Healey;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Prevailed in multiple legal, regulatory, and electoral challenges, with courts affirming the project\u2019s compliance and benefits;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ensured the permanent conservation of\u00a050,000 acres\u00a0of Maine wilderness, creating one of the largest contiguous conservation areas in the region. This land preservation initiative safeguards critical wildlife habitats, protects biodiversity, and ensures sustainable forestry practices.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">NECEC\u2019s financial foundation is strong, anchored by long-term, fixed-rate contracts with credit worthy utility counterparties that ensure predictable cash flows and a fair return on investment for the life of the project. The project is secured by a combination of a 40-year Transmission Service Agreement with Hydro-Qu\u00e9bec and 20-year contracts with Massachusetts utilities and Hydro-Qu\u00e9bec, providing stable, inflation-protected revenue streams and minimizing market volatility. Capital\u00a0expenditures\u00a0totaled approximately\u00a0$1.6 billion. As a result of negotiated contract provisions, the project will recover cost increases due to electoral challenges, ensuring the end project achieves the\u00a0anticipated\u00a0economic value.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">With major execution risks including permitting, legal challenges, and construction fully resolved, the NECEC has transitioned from development to revenue generation. Coupled with its measurable environmental benefits and alignment with relevant ESG mandates, the project is also positioned for premium valuation among sustainability-focused investors, making it one of the most resilient and attractive infrastructure assets in the region.<\/span><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">About Avangrid:\u202f<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Avangrid, Inc. is a leading energy company in the United States working to meet the growing demand for energy for homes and businesses across the nation through service, innovation, and continued investments by expanding grid infrastructure and energy generation projects. Avangrid has offices in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Oregon, including operations in 23 states with approximately\u00a0$48 billion\u00a0in assets, and has two primary lines of business: networks and power. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and\u00a0operates\u00a0eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than\u00a03.4 million customers\u00a0in New York and New England. Through its power generation business, Avangrid owns and\u00a0operates\u00a080 energy generation facilities across the United States producing 10.5 GW of power for over\u00a03.1 million customers. Avangrid employs approximately 8,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital as one of the JUST\u00a0100 companies \u2013 a ranking of America\u2019s best corporate citizens \u2013 in 2025 for the fifth consecutive year. The company was named among the World\u2019s Most Ethical Companies in 2025 for the seventh consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A.\u202fFor more information, visit\u202f<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.avangrid.com\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">www.avangrid.com<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">About Iberdrola:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fIberdrola is one of the world&#8217;s biggest energy companies and a leader in renewables, spearheading the energy transition to a low carbon economy. The group supplies energy to almost 100 million people in dozens of countries. With a focus on renewable energy, smart networks and smart solutions for customers, Iberdrola\u2019s main markets include Europe (Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany,\u00a0Italy\u00a0and Greece), the United States, Brazil,\u00a0Mexico\u00a0and Australia. The company is also present in growth markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Ireland,\u00a0Sweden\u00a0and Poland, among others.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">With a workforce of\u00a0nearly 40,000\u00a0and assets\u00a0in excess of\u00a0\u20ac141.7 billion, across the world, Iberdrola helps to support 400,000 jobs across its supply chain, with annual procurement of \u20ac12.2 billion. A benchmark in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has invested more than \u20ac130 billion over the past two decades to help build a sustainable energy model, based on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1,200 MW of low-cost, baseload power is now connected to New England\u00a0 Orange, CT \u2014 Jan. 16, 2026 \u2014\u202fAvangrid, Inc., a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, announced today that the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project is complete and energized. The NECEC stands as one of the region\u2019s largest sources [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":67426,"template":"","categories":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Avangrid\u2019s New England Clean Energy Connect Project Is Complete and Energized - Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/spainuscc.org\/news\/avangrids-new-england-clean-energy-connect-project-is-complete-and-energized\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_ES\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Avangrid\u2019s New England Clean Energy Connect Project Is Complete and Energized - Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"1,200 MW of low-cost, baseload power is now connected to New England\u00a0 Orange, CT \u2014 Jan. 16, 2026 \u2014\u202fAvangrid, Inc., a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, announced today that the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project is complete and energized. 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