Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Politics

In Maine, jury to decide fate of $1B hydropower transmission project rebuked by voters

by April 11, 2023
April 11, 2023
In Maine, jury to decide fate of $1B hydropower transmission project rebuked by voters

A battle over a $1 billion transmission line that won all regulatory approvals only to be rebuked by state residents in a referendum now comes down to nine regular folks.

In a rare move, a jury is being asked to decide a complicated constitutional matter — whether developers have a vested right to complete the 145-mile project, which would supply Canadian hydropower to the New England power grid.

The constitutionality of the statewide referendum on the project depends on the jury’s decision on the narrow vested-rights issue. And the case could turn on a simple majority of jurors.

‘We’re not aware of a similar instance in which the fate of a large energy asset rests in the hands of a jury. This is an unusual circumstance,’ Timothy Fox, vice president of Clear View Partners, an energy research firm in Washington, D.C., said before the trial began Monday.

The courtroom was packed Monday.

Attorneys for groups opposed to the project and the state attorney general’s office, which is charged with upholding the referendum, suggested to jurors on Monday that developers rushed construction with a goal of winning vested rights and nullifying the referendum.

But John Armando, lawyer for the developers, said the construction schedule was put in place years earlier, and that the case is ‘about fundamental fairness, about vested rights, about protection of property rights against retroactive laws.’

Last year, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court breathed new life into the stalled project when it ruled the retroactive nature of the statewide vote to stop the project would violate the developers’ constitutional rights if substantial construction already had begun in good faith before the referendum. Construction started in January 2021, about 10 months before the referendum in which 59% of voters rejected the project.

Justice Michael A. Duddy could have made the fact-finding determination himself. But he ruled in favor of project opponents, including the Natural Resources Council of Maine, who asked for a jury to make the determination. The judge seated nine jurors and two alternates.

Central Maine Power’s parent company and Hydro Quebec teamed up on New England Clean Energy Connect, which was unveiled in 2017 with a goal of supplying up to 1,200 megawatts of Canadian hydropower to the New England power grid. That is enough electricity for 1 million homes.

It’s one of two proposed large-scale transmission projects aimed at tapping hydropower from Quebec. The other would provide electricity to New York City.

Early on, developers envisioned smooth sailing because the transmission path would mostly follow existing corridors, with only a new 53-mile (85-kilometer) section crossing sparely populated woods to reach the Canadian border.

But the project encountered opposition each step of the way even as it received all necessary regulatory approvals. Developers already had begun cutting trees and setting poles for months when the governor asked for work to be suspended after voters rejected the project in November 2021.

Supporters say bold projects such as this one, funded by ratepayers in Massachusetts, are necessary to battle climate change and introduce additional electricity into a region that is heavily reliant on natural gas, which can cause spikes in energy costs.

Critics say the project’s environmental benefits are overstated — and that it would harm the woodlands in western Maine.

In Maine, two lawsuits over the project went before the Supreme Judicial Court, which ultimately upheld a lease for a 1-mile portion of the proposed power line that crossed state land.

The constitutional issue will likely end up back before the Supreme Judicial Court regardless of the outcome of the judge’s decision after the jury trial.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Nashville sends expelled Black Democratic lawmaker back to Tennessee House
next post
Pete Buttigieg’s husband asks Bud Light boycotters if they plan to protest water after trans controversy

You may also like

AK judge to allow election certification of Rep....

January 5, 2023

DNC union launches GoFundMe to help former staffers...

November 25, 2024

Army suspends commander after Trump, Vance, Hegseth vanish...

April 21, 2025

At the army base where Israel identifies its...

October 31, 2023

Trump says he’s ‘proud to be the most...

June 25, 2023

Harris holds narrow lead over Trump in ‘blue...

November 1, 2024

US says China has no reason to step...

March 23, 2023

Vance reveals ’empowering’ aspects of Trump’s leadership that...

April 30, 2025

WH Says Biden Was Referring to Inflation Reduction...

October 25, 2022

REPORT: Top Aide To John Fetterman Is Outspoken...

December 3, 2022

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Trump wins over lifelong Democrat autoworker with ‘big, beautiful bill’ vehicle loan tax benefit

      June 27, 2025
    • EXCLUSIVE: Trump admin takes action after massive fraud uncovered at agency Dems tried to protect from DOGE

      June 26, 2025
    • FBI investigating Iran strike leaker, Leavitt says: ‘They should be held accountable’

      June 26, 2025
    • SMCI Stock Surges: How to Invest Wisely Now

      June 26, 2025
    • NEW! 5 Significant Additions to Our Professionally-Curated Market Summary Dashboard

      June 26, 2025
    • ‘Presidential incapacity’: Senate Republican seeks paper trail of Biden’s autopen use

      June 26, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,316)
    • Investing (2,074)
    • Politics (15,824)
    • Stocks (3,172)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved