A Crucial Victory for Avangrid: Court Upholds FERC Ruling on Seabrook Circuit Breaker Installation
In a significant win for Avangrid, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has upheld a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decision, ordering NextEra Energy Resources to install a critical circuit breaker at its Seabrook nuclear plant in New Hampshire. This upgrade is essential for Avangrid’s $1.5 billion New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) transmission project, which aims to bring clean energy from Québec to New England.
The court’s 2-1 decision confirms FERC’s statutory authority to require the upgrade, citing its direct impact on interstate electricity transmission. The ruling also rejects NextEra’s argument that the circuit breaker is part of its generation system, rather than the transmission system, and therefore outside FERC’s jurisdiction.
This decision likely clears the final major hurdle for Avangrid’s 1,200-MW transmission project, which is expected to play a vital role in supporting the region’s access to clean energy and achieving broader environmental goals. ISO New England anticipates the project will begin participating in its markets by January 2026.
Avangrid has made significant progress on the project, including setting over 500 pole bases, erecting 441 poles, and installing wire on 178 poles. The company has also started building an HVDC converter station in Lewiston, Maine. However, the project’s costs have increased from initial estimates, prompting Avangrid to renegotiate power purchase agreements with Massachusetts utilities.
The NECEC project has overcome numerous challenges, including a referendum backed by NextEra and other power plant companies that aimed to block it. The project’s success is critical for increasing power supplies in New England, which would put downward pressure on wholesale power prices in the region.
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