DEP commissioner suspends permit for $1B transmission line

By PATRICK WHITTLE and DAVID SHARP
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s environmental commissioner is suspending a permit for a 145-mile electricity transmission project in western Maine, delivering another blow to the controversial project. Her decision Tuesday comes after Maine residents rebuked the $1 billion project in a referendum and developers suspended construction under pressure from the governor. Opponents called on the commissioner to uphold the will of the people after the referendum vote. But developers wanted her to wait until a court rules on the referendum’s constitutionality. The commissioner’s license suspension would be lifted if project developers win a preliminary injunction in court.