Incorporating more renewable energy into the electric grid will take significant investment in transmission infrastructure. In the November 2021 election, voters in Maine chose to prohibit construction of the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) electric transmission line that would bring renewable hydroelectric power from Quebec, Canada, to the state.

In a LinkedIn article, Associate Director Dr. Laura T. W. Olive discusses the recent vote and how the US experience with natural gas pipelines in the 1930s may provide a useful guide.

Dr. Olive works with energy companies to navigate economic questions arising from regulation and contract disputes. She knows that today’s energy industry continually faces new opportunities and challenges such as the NECEC. Dr. Olive frequently evaluates market power and competition in a variety of circumstances, including proposed mergers and acquisitions, market-based rate authority, and other regulatory investigations, and has testified on such matters before state commissions and federal regulators.