BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 25, 2023
The path for a proposed transmission line connecting a new Aroostook County wind farm to the regional power grid near Augusta looked smooth. It already has received a green light from Gov. Janet Mills and lawmakers. Apart from needing final approval from regulators, the project looked to be avoiding the grassroots opposition that has marked other energy fights in Maine. But six July meetings in communities along the proposed route laid bare skepticism from residents, echoing Maine’s biggest infrastructure struggles. Chief among the local criticism is how homeowners did not know the transmission line could run by or through their properties. The Aroostook Renewable Gateway project would extend for 140 to 160 miles from a new substation in northern Maine to an existing plant in Windsor. Massachusetts agreed in January to finance up to 40 percent of the transmission and distribution projects in return for 40 percent of the generated energy. It is expected to cost Maine ratepayers $1 per month for 10 years.