A 140-mile electric transmission line that would bring wind power from northern Maine to the New England grid has been stalled for years, but it was back before the Legislature on Tuesday as lawmakers again considered authorizing the project.

Sen. Mark Lawrence, co-chair of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, presented a resolution that would approve construction and operation of the line and related facilities — even though, as critics pointed out, its exact route, cost and developer are still unknown.

That information would still need to be vetted and authorized by state regulators before construction could begin.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission and state Department of Environmental Protection must “conduct robust public engagement, hold public hearings and rigorously evaluate the merits of any proposed transmission line issuing approvals,” Rep. Christopher Kessler, D-South Portland, said in prepared testimony.

Lawmakers called for a line carrying 1,200 megawatts of power as part of a 2021 law intended to remove obstacles and promote the development of renewable energy resources in northern Maine. Regulators approved one that would have extended from a wind farm in the Houlton area to Greater Augusta, but terminated the deal with developer LS Power in December 2023, citing differences over cost.

In May 2024, the PUC began accepting “indications of interest” from builders. Submissions are not public, but Central Maine Power Co. announced in October that it would bid on the project and had secured a $425 million commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy to buy some of the electricity carried by the line.

Kessler said requiring legislative approval at the “very end of this multiyear, multiagency, multimillion-dollar process is effectively a deal-breaker for any developer.”

“This creates a lose-lose situation for the Legislature,” Kessler said.

If lawmakers deny approval after years of regulatory review, the financial viability of transmission development in Maine is undermined, “driving up costs, destabilizing the grid and guaranteeing that we will not meet our climate goals,” he said.

Kessler backs a measure that clarifies legislative intent by stipulating that if the Legislature signals that a transmission line is needed, “that action itself should be viewed as legislative approval.”

Lawrence, D-York, said his legislation is a placeholder for when regulators consider a new transmission plan. His legislation “brings increased oversight and transparency to the approval process, allowing greater public involvement in the legislative process,” he said in prepared testimony.

“Before we get too far down the line, it’s important to create a process that allows concerns to be heard up front,” Lawrence said.

The legislation stirred up familiar criticism from local residents.

Eric and Becky Rolfson, of Albion, oppose the bill. While they support efforts to stem the worst of climate change, Eric Rolfson said he is “unhappy and actually dismayed” that lawmakers would approve the project without knowing details such as the route, costs and who the builder will be.

Rolfson said he and neighbors were first informed of the project in 2023 and were told “everything is a done deal,” and that it had been approved by the Legislature and Gov. Janet Mills. The line would have gone through farmland, prompting residents to protest and towns to withdraw support.

“That process was neither the definition of transparency in government nor a smart move for those of us who recognize the need for these projects,” Rolfson said.

Deirdre Schneider, legislative liaison for the PUC, said regulators have not asked for the legislation and have not selected a route or a project. The PUC has not taken a position on the legislation.

A law enacted last year changed Maine’s eminent domain laws by limiting forced land sales used to make way for power lines and transmission towers. The measure was in response to concerns raised by property owners in northern and central Maine about the power line that would cut through farmland.

Kathleen Newman, vice president of government affairs at CMP, told lawmakers no additional land is needed to establish a contiguous route from Aroostook County to Windsor. If selected, CMP will build more than 100 miles of transmission line next to lines already in use and 40 to 80 miles on land set aside for utility use, she said.

If the Legislature approves transmission lines it should only be after the route is known, Newman said.