Canadian Hydropower Now Connected to New England Grid, Will Supply 1 Million Homes

The St. James Bay–Quebec hydro facilities are now connected to the New England grid through the New England Clean Energy Connect. This achievement marks a milestone in reliable, clean energy delivery to Massachusetts and the region.

“This long-anticipated moment is the culmination of nearly a decade of careful planning, legislating, and implementation, carried forward despite significant legal, political, and logistical obstacles,” said state Rep. Jeffrey N. Roy, former chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy (D-10th Norfolk), in a statement shared with the Franklin Observer and Medway Monitor. 

“I had the opportunity to see the source of this power firsthand when I visited the St. James Bay hydropower facilities — an engineering marvel — in Quebec last March, and it is deeply gratifying to see that work come to fruition,” he said.

The project contracts to deliver 9.5 terawatt hours of renewable hydroelectricity to New England over 20 years, enough to power about 1 million homes and reduce roughly 3 million tons of carbon emissions annually.

Interconnection upgrades are expected to improve grid reliability by deepening ties with neighboring systems, delivering meaningful economic benefits to New England ratepayers.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and state officials frame the project as delivering policy and economic gains aligned with the state's energy affordability and decarbonization goals.