The northern Maine wind and transmission line is one step closer to reality as the Maine Public Utilities Commission seeks input from potential bidders and other interested parties on a draft request for proposals.
The working document, issued earlier this month, sets forth the technical aspects of the Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program, which experts say could eventually reduce the state’s dependence on natural gas and the volatility of that market.
“Onshore wind is a low-cost renewable energy source,” said Jack Shapiro, director for clean energy programs at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “That’s why everyone has been focused on these potential projects up in Aroostook County.”
Experts tout the power of northern Maine’s wind energy potential, but harnessing that wind and getting the electricity it produces to the power grid has had its share of obstacles and stalled attempts, including the Number Nine Wind Farm, canceled in late 2016, and the Aroostook Renewable Gateway, which was canceled in December 2023.
These setbacks come at a time when the state’s need for new energy sources has grown amid Mainers skyrocketing electricity bills. Not to mention a dramatic increase in the region’s electric usage due to heat pumps, EVs, and other electrification priorities, further highlighting the push to harness the County’s wind potential.
“If we get this right, it is possible to envision a second regional project moving forward,” said Francis Pullaro, president of the green energy-supporting group RENEW Northeast in a previous Bangor Daily News interview. “If we don’t get this right, it means higher costs and energy shortages.”
A complicated contracting process, long delays and cost increases led to the eventual demise of the Aroostook Renewable Gateway, initially touted as the largest land-based wind project east of the Mississippi River.
The Maine Legislature in 2021 asked the PUC to solicit bids for power generation and transmission for the project. It wasn’t until later that it ended up making sense for regulators and the state to find regional partners for the project, and that complicated things, Shapiro said.
This time, the difference is that the draft RFP includes ISO New England and recognizes it is a regional priority, he said.
“[It makes] explicit recognition that there are other states with an interest in this project,” Shapiro said.
As part of ISO New England’s new initiative to encourage more transmission capacity, it has also issued a request for proposals for various efforts, including developing new infrastructure in Maine that can accommodate the interconnection of at least 1,200 megawatts of onshore wind energy production.
The effort by ISO New England, which operates the region’s power grid, will likely support the upgrade of a key substation, potentially in Pittsfield, and other changes to move power farther south into New England. That could, in turn, make it easier to tap into the mostly undeveloped wind energy potential of northern Maine, according to Shapiro.
Massachusetts legislators also boosted Maine’s renewed attempt to get electricity flowing from The County. The state had previously agreed to purchase 40 percent of the power generated from the Aroostook Renewable Gateway project, but that offer had a December 2025 deadline. Recently, the state approved extending that deadline to 2027.
And with all six New England states sharing in the costs for regional transmission investments, ISO New England’s new effort could knock hundreds of millions of dollars off the overall cost to Maine ratepayers for a project in the northern part of the state, according to clean energy experts.
Keeping the lessons learned from the failed Aroostook Renewable Gateway in mind, state regulators have taken measured steps along the way to get feedback from potential developers.
In May 2024, the PUC put out a request for information and interest from clean-energy experts and developers interested in bidding on the wind or transmission projects before proceeding with a new call for bids, to better determine how to move forward.
In April, the commission made a second request for information and interest that mentioned details on the ISO New England initiative and the proposed substation in Pittsfield. That deadline was Sept. 30.
After comments close on the draft RFP on Oct. 29, commission staff will review the responses and tentatively plan to issue a formal RFP by the end of the year, said PUC spokesperson Susan Faloon. Comments on the draft RFP should be filed in docket 2024-00099.
“We’re really optimistic about seeing the process move forward because it’s clear that our reliance on natural gas is affecting affordability for Maine ratepayers,” Shapiro said. “And this is exactly the kind of project that can help make us less dependent on fossil fuels and make energy more affordable for Maine families and businesses, so we’re hopeful.”
