Governor Janet T. Mills has announced that she has approved a Stipulation and presented it to the PUC regarding the New England Clean Energy (NECEC) – a controversial matter that some environmentalists have been opposed to.

“Maine is the most heating and dependent state in the country, with nearly 70% of Mane’s homeowners relying on oil for their heating neds. We send five billion dollars out of state every year to pay for our use of nonrenewable fossil fuels. Our high costs of energy and electricity are a barrier to our health and a deterrent to our economy, while our cars and trucks account for more than half of our carbon dioxide emissions,” said the Governor.

Continuing, she said: “I ran for the office of Governor with a promise to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, to address our carbon footprint and to accept the challenge of preventing and mitigating climate change – a threat first identified more than 80 years ago by the British engineer G.S. Callender who issued a call to action that has been largely ignored by some in our country.”

The Governor has authorized the Office of Energy to sign on to a Stipulation that will allow this project to move forward to undergo additional scrutiny from state and federal agencies. “Partnering with Hydro Quebec will bring down the price of power as well as wean us off of fossil fuel,” the Governor said.

The proposed line would run through western Maine and is 145 miles in length.