AUGUSTA, Maine — The CMP Corridor project—the New England Clean Energy Connect—is facing another major challenge from state regulators, and outlined potential alternative routes for part of the corridor to deal with the problem.
In August, Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy ruled the project did not have a valid permit from the state Bureau of Public Lands to cross a one-mile section of land on the route, near Johnson Mountain Township. The NECEC is appealing that ruling to the Maine Supreme Court. Construction on the new, 53-mile section of the corridor is continuing, although the company has been told not to cut the public land portion of the route.
On Tuesday, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection began a public hearing to decide whether to order a halt to all construction of the new section of the corridor, until the court appeal is decided. The NECEC's Thorn Dickinson said the case may not be decided until June, and that stopping construction for that long would cost them a lot of money.
“A pause of this nature in construction will result in a very complex demobilization and (then) remobilization of construction. We estimate the cost based on a 12-month delay in overall construction would be approximately $67 million,” Dickinson said.
He added that even if the court ruling goes in the company's favor, it would take weeks or months to bring back contractors and workers and resume work. That time, he said, would delay completion of the project.
Opponents of the NECEC countered that the issue is environmental damage being done while the court handles the lengthy appeal. They criticized the NECEC for not asking the court to the speedier timetable, which it could have done.
Opponents said if the public land section cannot be used, there would be damage to the forest from the long clearcut corridor, some of which could be avoided if cutting were to be stopped pending the ruling.
Thorn Dickinson also showed a map of two alternate corridor routes being considered to avoid the disputed public land section. One follows a route east of that land and then reconnects to the current corridor lines. The second would be a major detour, moving west of Route 201 and roughly parallel to that highway, eventually crossing the Dead River and the Kennebec near The Forms, finally connecting to the existing section of the CMP transmission line at a much different location than the current NECEC route.
Opponents, however, threw cold water on those plans. They said both alternate routes also required crossing conservation lands and said letters from the groups that hold the conservation easements for those lands indicate they won’t permit transmission lines. Dickinson said the company believes the line would be permitted.
There is no word how soon the DEP is likely to rule.