Is Maine finally about to make wind power happen?

“I think we now have a pair of projects that are incredibly likely to be built,” said Philip Bartlett, chair of the Maine Public Utilities Commission, during Tuesday’s deliberations.

The commission was tasked with choosing both a clean-generation development for Aroostook County, along the Canadian border, and a transmission project that would shuttle the power to the rest of New England. The panel picked a plan for an onshore wind farm, proposed by developer Clearway Energy, and a transmission line proposed by Avangrid, the parent company of utility Central Maine Power. The selection of the wind project is contingent on the transmission line getting built.

The developments are expected to generate some $400 million in net benefits for Maine consumers over the life of the projects, and create more than 2,500 full-time jobs during construction. The wind farm could lower by 10% the amount of oil — one of the costliest and dirtiest fuels — burned in New England power plants in the winter, Commissioner Carolyn Gilbert said.

“Maine ratepayers are significantly better off for this effort,” she said.

Maine set its first target for land-based and offshore wind in 2008. Aroostook County, a region with lots of open space and particularly robust winds, has long been the focus of these efforts. For years, however, these plans failed to get traction, largely because the region is so isolated from the rest of the New England grid. The cost and difficulty of building new transmission was a significant part of the reason previous plans fizzled in 2016 and 2023.

This time around, Maine went into the process with the support of other New England states.

Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont all struck an agreement to share the cost of the transmission line. Maine utility customers will pay for less than 11% of the total cost.

The six New England states are also set to share the cost of a second transmission project that will strengthen the connection between the planned wind farm and the rest of the region. In March 2025, at the recommendation of all these states’ governors, Independent System Operator New England issued a request for proposals for transmission infrastructure linking central Maine to the rest of the grid. The grid operator announced its preferred project in July, and is now accepting public comments.

This level of cooperation is, perhaps, unprecedented, Commissioner Patrick Scully said during deliberations.

“I’ve not seen anything like this in the United States,” he said. ​“I think this effort deserves national attention and provides a model for other regions to work collaboratively to meet common energy, climate, and reliability goals.”

The region’s other states also considered the bids for energy generation, though there haven’t yet been any announcements about whether they will choose to procure power from the wind farm.

While environmental and economic development advocates are optimistic about the selections, they note that previous plans have floundered. There are still many more important milestones to come, including financing, permitting, and construction, said Francis Pullaro, president of clean-energy industry association Renew Northeast. Project planners may also need to navigate public reaction to the proposal. The last major transmission line built through Maine sparked an outcry that led to years of delay and more than $500 million in added cost for ratepayers.

The federal environment for wind-energy development is also more difficult than ever. President Donald Trump has eliminated tax credits for wind projects and directed agencies including the Defense Department to freeze permitting for wind, though courts have ruled against these moves. The attacks have been especially devastating for ambitious plans to build offshore wind in New England, raising the stakes of developing onshore resources in Aroostook and elsewhere in the region.

Still, Pullaro is already looking ahead. The 800-MW wind project will leave room for another 400 MW of power to travel on the new planned transmission line, and Aroostook has plenty of wind.

“We have a lot of untapped potential up there,” he said. ​“I think there’s a real opportunity here to keep the momentum going.”