Avangrid and its affiliates, including Central Maine Power, have filed a federal lawsuit against NextEra Energy, alleging that the utility giant engaged in a “scorched-earth scheme” to block competition in the New England electricity market. The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in Massachusetts, claims that NextEra's actions have caused over $350 million in damages and inflated electricity costs for consumers.
Avangrid, a Connecticut-based energy company, accuses NextEra of filing baseless regulatory, legal, and political challenges to obstruct its plan to bring hydropower from Canada to New England, a move aimed at providing low-cost wholesale electricity. The Massachusetts legislature awarded Avangrid the rights to deliver clean energy to the state in 2018, beating out NextEra in a competitive bidding process.
The lawsuit alleges that NextEra sought to delay Avangrid's New England Clean Energy Connect project, designed to deliver hydropower, by challenging permits and approvals and pushing two unsuccessful referenda in Maine against the project. Avangrid estimates the project will be operational by 2026.
In response, NextEra, based in Juno Beach, Florida, said it would “vigorously defend” against the claims in court. The company, which operates 11 power-generation plants in New England and has a substantial renewable energy portfolio, maintains that its actions were legitimate.
