A U.S. district court judge in Massachusetts granted NextEra Energy’s motion to dismiss claims the company violated federal and state antitrust laws in its efforts to block the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission project.

Maine regulators removed a potential obstacle to the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line, rejecting a challenge by environmentalists and others.

DEP Commissioner Melanie Loyzim determined that new statutory changes in Maine would prevent the developers of NECEC from building the line as permitted.