Renewable Energy Vermont (REV), the trade association representing Vermont’s renewable energy industry, applauds the U.S. Department of Energy’s announcement that National Grid’s Twin States Clean Energy Link was selected as one of three projects nationwide to receive investment through the U.S. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Transmission Facilitation Program (TCP).
Paul Lesure, REV board chair and President and co-founder of Green Mountain Solar stated, “As a business working to meet the growing demand of consumers looking to make the transition off fossil fuels and onto renewables, two-way transmission lines like the Clean Energy Link are absolutely critical to bringing more distributed generation online in a way that enhances grid reliability and resilience. These are key factors if we want New England to get to a 100% renewable energy future.”
According to REV Executive Director Peter Sterling, “The selection of the Twin States Clean Energy Link project to receive support from the TCP is welcome news in the fight against climate change. The two-way transfer of renewable energy between New England and Quebec is critical if we are going to fully decarbonize our electric sector.”
The TCP is a $2.5 billion revolving fund for building new, large-scale transmission lines supporting interregional transmission projects that will strengthen grid resilience and reliability and enable the addition of more renewable energy resources to the grid.
REV board member and Encore Renewable Energy VP of Project Development Jake Clark states, “Well-sited transmission projects such as the Twin States Clean Energy Link offer a win-win-win, from more local renewable energy projects to local economic empowerment to reliable energy to power our homes and businesses. Supporting better transmission infrastructure means supporting a cleaner, more reliable, more equitable energy future for all.”
Added Sterling, “As New England brings more renewables online, we need to be able to send excess power north to Canada at strategic moments, allowing us to more efficiently access the vast existing hydropower reserves in Quebec. At 1.2GW, roughly twice the size of Vermont Yankee, the Twin States Clean Energy Link will provide sufficient capacity to begin this process.”
“REV believes that additional two-way transmission will be needed in the future as New England’s load grows from beneficial electrification of the transportation and thermal sectors. It is our hope that regulators, our elected representatives and government officials will also soon recognize the benefit of TDI’s 1,000MW New England Clean Power Link in the fight against climate change and help it come to fruition as well” concluded Sterling.