Timeline: Northern Maine Transmission Line

(updated 10/24/2025)

LD 1710: “An Act To Require Prompt and Effective Use of the Renewable Energy Resources of Northern Maine” — this is the legislation that opens the story
8/4/2021 PUC opens Notice of Inquiry regarding the Northern Maine Transmission Line in docket 2021-00223
11/3/2021 Voters approved the referendum about the NECEC transmission line, which included the line: “require a two-thirds vote of each state legislative chamber to approve high-impact electric transmission line projects.” (link)
The actual ballot text in question read: “Do you want to ban the construction of high-impact electric transmission lines in the Upper Kennebec Region and to require the Legislature to approve all other such projects anywhere in Maine, both retroactively to 2020, and to require the Legislature, retroactively to 2014, to approve by a two-thirds vote such projects using public land?” (source)
11/16/2021 Maine PUC opens the docket 2021-00369 and issues the RFP for the Northern Maine transmission line (item number 2)

11/1/2022 PUC selects LS Power and King Pine as the winning bidders in docket 2021-00369 item 139

LD 924: “Resolve, to Provide Legislative Approval of the Transmission Project Selected by the Public Utilities Commission Pursuant to the Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program” —signed by the Governor June 22 2023. A week later, some of you received letters letting you know your property had been targeted for taking or development.
12/22/2023 PUC terminates the LS Power/ King Pine procurement because the various parties (including other states) were unable to timely agree on terms of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and Transmission Service Agreement (TSA)

LD 1963 “An Act Regarding the Future of Renewable Energy Transmission in Northern Maine”—this act updates and clarifies the project. (Here was my post about it.)
LD 1963 becomes Public Law Title 35-A 3210-I “Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program”
LD 2087 (Landowner’s Voice post about this bill.) “An Act to Protect Property Owners by Making Certain Changes to the Laws Governing the Use of Eminent Domain by Transmission and Distribution Utilities.” 4/22/2024 LD 2087 signed into law
4/1/2024 PUC releases a new RFI for the transmission line in docket 2024-00099. Post here.

LD 596— did not pass, would have rubber stamped the northern Maine line with no information (no route, no bidder, no price)
LD 810— signed into law, avoids the legislative approval requirement for any transmission line that is “approved for a contract after a competitive procurement conducted by the commission or a state agency”—completely subverting the intention of the 60% approval 2021 referendum.
LD 197—”Resolve, to Direct the Governor’s Energy Office to Conduct a Study Regarding the Future of Electric Transmission Infrastructure in the State” passed into law 6/10/2025 directs the GEO to study the process for transmission line procurement for the state’s future needs.
3/31/2025 ISO-NE releases the RFP for Longer Term Transmission Upgrade (LTTU)—this RFP will work in tandem with the Maine PUC Northern Maine Transmission Line RFP.
10/3/2025 PUC posts draft RFP for Northern Maine Transmission Line. Item 52 2024-00099
10/8/2025 PUC posts notice of rulemaking for eminent domain and property abutting transmission line docket 2025-00279

10/29/2025 Responses and comments due to the draft RFP in item 52 2024-00099
11/4/2025 Initial Written Comments due for Eminent Domain Rulemaking
11/7/2025 Public Hearing for Eminent Domain Rulemaking
11/18/2025 Final Comments Due for Eminent Domain Rulemaking
November 2025 expected summary of responses to the ISO-NE LTTU RFP. Future ISO-NE Timeline below. Source.
December 2025—PUC expects to issue RFP for the Northern Maine Transmission Line. The remainder of their projected schedule is here (source, 2024-00099 item 52)

September 2026: ISO-NE RFP selection for Longer Term Transmission Upgrades
September 1, 2026: report due from LD 197 “Study Regarding the Future of Electric Transmission Infrastructure in the State”