Hydro-Quebec Vows to Build Line Despite Maine Referendum

  • CEO predicts legal battle after voters approve halting project
  • Energy corridor would send carbon-free power to Massachusetts
A Hydro-Quebec generating station on the Saint Lawrence River in Beauharnois, Quebec. The government-owned utility has signed two U.S. export deals in recent years.Photographer: Graham Hughes/Bloomberg
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Hydro-Quebec Chief Executive Officer Sophie Brochu isn’t giving up on a transmission line to send carbon-free electricity from Canada to the U.S. Northeast, despite voters in Maine backing a move to halt the projectBloomberg Terminal.

On Tuesday, 59% in a state referendum voted to ban construction of a Central Maine Power corridor, which opponents say would harm the environment by cutting through forests. In a statement, the Quebec government-owned power utility said it would “undertake all necessary actions to have its rights recognized.”