The New England Clean Air Connect will provide a major boost for our economy. The project will bring thousands of jobs, and millions in property tax relief with absolutely no cost to Maine. The fact that Massachusetts is paying for NECEC is great news for Maine.

Aside from the jobs and property taxes, Mainers getting clean air . . . decades of it! By delivering 1,200 megawatts of clean hydropower into the New England grid, the project will reduce carbon emissions by 3.6 million metric tons. Think about that. That’s roughly the equivalent of taking more than three quarters of a million cars off New England’s roads annually.

It’s also power that is badly needed. Many older generation facilities are retiring and will need to be replaced in the very near future. New England needs carbon-free energy generation like hydropower because the dangers of climate change are already being felt here in Maine.

Finally, I also appreciate how careful CMP was when it created the route for the NECEC. The corridor avoids scenic and environmental resources. Two-thirds of the route will go through a corridor that already exists. The other third goes through forests that have already been harvested for lumber. The environmental impact will be minimal. It even creates 50 extra miles of snowmobile trails in western Maine.

NECEC is a project which will spur Maine’s economy and provide clean air to Mainers for decades to come. I plan to support it and I think other Mainers should do the same.

Rene Dupont, Auburn