MAINE PUBLIC • December 22, 2025
Maine utility regulators are jumpstarting a major new wind power development and electric transmission line in Northern Maine. The Public Utilities Commission released a request for proposals last week and asked private developers to submit bids for the project by the end of February. The agency intends to build turbines that can produce up to 1,200 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 475,000 homes. The development is meant to be paired with a major new transmission line linking wind generation near Houlton to an upgraded substation in Pittsfield. PUC Chair Phil Bartlett said in an interview that the project offers New England an opportunity for significant new inexpensive power at a time of surging electricity demand and high prices. The PUC awarded a similar contract for a power and transmission project in 2022, but cancelled the deal about a year later over cost concerns.