AUGUSTA, Maine — NECEC Transmission, LLC, the company now in charge of building the controversial transmission line corridor, announced Wednesday morning it would be awarding more than $300 million dollars in contracts for the corridor project.
The project would bring hydro-power from Canada through Maine to the New England energy grid and has received mixed reviews from those across the state. Construction is slated to start this summer but could be put on hold if opponents are successful in getting the project on this year's November ballot.
The LLC's President and CEO, Thorn Dickinson says this money will be used to build and upgrade transmission lines while also providing land clearing for the project. The contracts were awarded to Cianbro-Irby, NCI and Sargent Electric.
Here is more from the release:
Cianbro, Maine’s largest general contractor, in a joint venture with transmission construction company Irby Construction, will construct the new, high voltage DC transmission line that will run 145 miles from the Canadian border to a substation in Lewiston, Maine. Sargent Electric will perform transmission line upgrades required for the project, specifically on a segment from Wiscasset to Windsor and others in the Lewiston-Auburn area. NCI will provide all clearing and access road improvement work.
“This is a significant contract for our company and our state. We are eager to put Maine people to work on this important project that brings both clean energy and economic benefits to the State,” said Andi Vigue, President and CEO at Cianbro.
Sargent Electric and NCI are both signatory IBEW Local 104 contractors; all labor required for their work will come from the IBEW Local 104.
“More than 70 percent of the workers will be IBEW 104 members. The NECEC will create several years’ worth of steady work for our members at a time when it looks like we’ll need it most,” said Tim Burgess, Assistant Business Manager, IBEW Local 104. “I can’t tell you how important that is right now given the sudden economic climate we are in.”
To date, the NECEC has received permits from a number of State agencies and additional permits required to begin construction are expected in the second quarter of 2020. Construction is expected to be completed in 2022.
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