Maine’s Rejection of Avangrid Line Can Take Effect, Judge Rules

The Maine voter initiative that nixed Avangrid Inc.'s transmission line project can take effect in the coming days because public interest in democratic principles outweighs the company’s economic losses as litigation proceeds, a state judge ordered Thursday.

Avangrid presented “legitimate counter arguments” in its request to pause the Nov. 2 ballot outcome, in which about 60% of voters opposed Central Maine Power’s New England Clean Energy Connect project, wrote Michael A. Duddy, a judge with the Maine Business and Consumer Court.

But while further construction delays will cause “substantial” economic harm for developers"that harm does not outweigh the harm to ...