Transmission Links are part of larger initiative to provide renewable energy from Newfoundland to new markets with neighbours
In Feb. 2018, the island of Newfoundland joined the interconnected North American electricity grid, according to the National Energy Board.
After four years of construction, the Maritime Transmission Link connected Newfoundland’s isolated electricity market to Nova Scotia and the larger continental electricity grid.
In mid-2018, another electricity transmission line will come into service – the recently completed Labrador Island Transmission Link which connects Labrador to Newfoundland.
Newfoundland and Labrador has vast renewable hydro generation resources. Both the Maritime and Labrador Island Transmission Links will transmit electricity from Muskrat Falls, a large hydroelectricity generation source under construction in Labrador which is expected to come online in late 2019.
Prior to the completion of the Maritime and Labrador Island Transmission Links, the only export outlet for Newfoundland and Labrador’s surplus electricity was via Quebec, which is highly interconnected with the Ontario and U.S. power grid.
The Maritime and Labrador Island Transmission Links are part of a larger initiative to provide renewable energy from Newfoundland and Labrador to new markets in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
“The Maritime Link Project is part of a larger strategy to address the growing demand for more renewable energy. It will enable the transmission of clean, renewable and reliable electricity from Newfoundland and Labrador to Nova Scotia and beyond,” said Emera Newfoundland and Labrador, an East Coast utility.
This initiative could potentially also serve New England electricity markets via several interconnections between New Brunswick and the U.S. power grid. The New England electricity market is transitioning towards cleaner power generation sources.
The proposed New England Clean Energy Connect power line which would connect with Quebec is moving forward, although, as of May 2018, the project has not received any of the required regulatory approvals. This project was selected by Massachusetts to meet its request for proposals for 9.45 TW.h of clean energy.
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