According to a recent LinkedIn post from Grid Status, the 1,200 MW New England Clean Energy Connect intertie between ISO New England Inc. and Hydro Québec has been in commercial operation for just over a month. The post indicates the line has averaged more than 900 MW of exports since January 16, delivering about 734,000 MWh and displacing higher-cost winter fossil generation, implying a roughly 79.8% capacity factor.
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The post also points to an operational constraint that emerged during late January’s Arctic cold in the Northeast. According to the analysis, Hydro Québec curtailed flows on NECEC and even imported power on other interties during a prolonged ISO-NE M/LCC2 event, as Quebec’s reliance on electric heating drove internal winter demand.
Grid Status references its earlier work on Hydro Québec’s structural challenge of expanding profitable exports while managing a growing winter peak under drought conditions. For investors in regional generation, transmission developers, and cross-border power marketers, the commentary suggests that NECEC’s long-term utilization may be sensitive to Quebec’s own weather-driven demand and hydrological conditions.
The post further implies that while NECEC can provide substantial low-carbon capacity to New England, export volumes may not consistently match baseload expectations during extreme cold snaps. This dynamic could influence congestion patterns, wholesale power prices, and revenue profiles for merchant generators and utilities exposed to ISO-NE and Hydro Québec, as well as inform risk assessments for future interregional transmission projects.