More on New England Clean Energy Connect's challenges and what they say about our ability to transition to renewable energy

Even if Avangrid proves its rights are vested, it still needs to beat back a separate lawsuit challenging its ability to cross state land, as well as appeals to its federal Clean Water Act permit and presidential permit to cross an international boundary. The sheer number of permits and appeals speaks to the difficulties of developing transmission in the U.S. today, said Jeffrey Porter, who leads the environmental practice at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo PC, a Boston-based law firm. “Across the board, the multiplicity of regulations required and appeals allowable guarantee the amount of time it takes to build the infrastructure we want is going to take longer than the time we have,” Porter said. “Congress needs to look at how to streamline permitting and how do we limit appeals once a permit is in hand.”

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