Jay voters overwhelmingly voted to oppose Central Maine Power’s proposed $1 billion, 145-mile hydropower electricity transmission line. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

JAY — Residents voted overwhelmingly Monday evening to oppose construction of a $1 billion, 145-mile transmission line to bring hydropower from Quebec to Lewiston for connection to the New England power grid.

The vote was by a show of hands. A motion to vote by secret ballot failed to pass.

Residents also voted to authorize selectpersons to submit a letter of opposition to Central Maine Power Co., New England Clean Energy Connect, the Maine Public Utilities Commission, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and the Maine Land Use Planning Commission on their behalf. Each selectperson agreed to do so.

A total of 241 residents had checked in at Spruce Mountain Middle School to vote by 6:34 p.m., and the vote was over before others had a chance to check in.

Jay has 3,298 registered voters.

New England Clean Energy Connect would bring hydropower from Quebec via a transmission line through Franklin, Somerset and Androscoggin counties. The line through Maine would extend from Beattie Township on the Canadian border to Lewiston for ultimate connection to the New England power grid.

Central Maine Power proposed the NECEC after a solicitation by Massachusetts utilities responding to that state’s Global Warming Solutions Act, which set goals to increase supplies of electricity from clean, renewable sources for Massachusetts consumers, according to the NECEC website.

About 7.1 miles of the line would go through Jay, running on the east side of Route 133, resident Susan Theberge said Thursday at a forum on the project.

The transmission line, which includes 53.5 miles of new line, would provide up to 1,200 megawatts of electricity via a high-voltage, direct-current line.