Opinion: Maine’s energy future depends on us building the grid we need

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 15, 2026

The Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program will develop an 800-MW wind project and a 1,200-MW line using existing electricity corridors. This is about far more than electricity transmission lines. It is about unlocking one of the richest renewable energy resources in the Eastern United States and connecting it to hundreds of thousands of homes, businesses and industries across the Northeast. Aroostook County possesses some of the strongest onshore wind resources east of the Mississippi River. Vast stretches of developable land, consistent wind conditions and proximity to existing and future renewable generation make the region uniquely positioned to add thousands of megawatts of clean electricity. The challenge is no longer producing renewable electricity. It is delivering it. ~ Jeff Marks, ClimateWork Maine