Market Snapshot: Newfoundland joins the interconnected North American electricity grid

Release date: 2018-06-27

In February 2018, the island of Newfoundland joined the interconnected North American electricity grid. After 4 years of construction, the Maritime Transmission Link connected Newfoundland’s isolated electricity market to Nova Scotia and the larger continental electricity grid. In mid 2018, another electricity transmission line will come into service – the recently completed Labrador Island Transmission Link which connects Labrador to Newfoundland.




Major Electricity Transmission Lines in Atlantic Canada

Source and Description

Source: Emera, NB Power, Hydro Québec

Description: This map shows cross border electricity transmission lines, relevant provincial links, and interconnections between Canada and the U.S.:

  • Red line – a power line from the Churchill Falls generation site in Labrador to Quebec.
  • Light green line – the link between Churchill Falls and Muskrat Falls, Labrador.
  • Yellow line – the recently completed Labrador Island Transmission Link from the Muskrat Falls generation site to Soldier’s Pond, Newfoundland.
  • Dark green line – existing infrastructure between the Labrador Island Transmission Link and the Maritime Transmission Link.
  • Purple line – the recently completed Maritime Transmission Link from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia.
  • Dark green line – existing infrastructure from Nova Scotia through New Brunswick to Maine.

In addition, several major power line interconnections are marked on the map at the borders between Quebec and Ontario; the borders between Quebec, New York, and Vermont; and New Brunswick and Maine.

Newfoundland and Labrador has vast renewable hydro generation resources. Both the Maritime and Labrador Island Transmission Links will transmit electricity from Muskrat Falls, a large hydroelectricity generation source under construction in Labrador which is expected to come online in late 2019. Prior to the completion of the Maritime and Labrador Island Transmission Links, the only export outlet for Newfoundland and Labrador’s surplus electricity was via Quebec, which is highly interconnected with the Ontario and U.S. power grid.

The Maritime and Labrador Island Transmission Links are part of a larger initiative to provide renewable energy from Newfoundland and Labrador to new markets in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Footnote 1 This initiative could potentially also serve New England electricity markets via several interconnections between New Brunswick and the U.S. power grid. Footnote 2

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