By Canadian Press

Legault remains confident after voters in Maine say no to Hydro-Québec project

Nov 3, 2021 | 8:07 AM

MONTREAL — Voters in Maine have voted No to having a Hydro-Québec power transmission line pass through the state, but Quebec Premier François Legault is still confident the $10-billion power export contract to Massachusetts will come to pass.

Legault commented today on the results of Tuesday’s referendum in Maine, a stinging setback for the Crown corporation and his government’s plan to make Quebec the “battery of North America.”

Legault told reporters on the sidelines of the COP26 climate talks in Scotland that he knew the results of the referendum would be tight and says the governor of Massachusetts is determined to see the agreement through.

Legault says there’s a Plan B for the project that entail different transmission routes, but he couldn’t give more details, adding the project had been approved by multiple state and federal agencies.

Hydro-Québec has said the project would cut 3 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year — the equivalent of taking 700,000 cars off the road.

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Maine’s major environmental groups aren’t convinced of the benefits and raised concerns about the impact of the proposed power lines through the northern part of the state, particularly the 85 kilometres of new lines that would travel across the North Maine Woods.

Three-quarters of trees had already been removed for the project, which calls for a transmission line that mostly follows existing utility corridors.

Tuesday’s statewide referendum on the project won’t be the final word, as litigation will continue.

The referendum results mark the second recent setback for Hydro-Québec’s plan to export power to the United States. In 2019, the utility abandoned a plan to export power through New Hampshire because of public opposition.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2021.

— With files from The Associated Press.

The Canadian Press