Concord — Massachusetts abandoned plans on Wednesday to get its clean energy from a $1.6 billion hydropower project, dealing a blow to a proposal that has sparked controversy in New Hampshire over plans to deliver the power through nearly 200 miles of transmission lines across the state.

The Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said it would reverse course and terminate the earlier selection of Eversource Energy’s Northern Pass project. The state will instead move toward an agreement with New England Clean Energy Connect, a hydropower project proposed by Central Maine Power Co. Both projects would get their hydropower from Canada.

Peter Lorenz, the Massachusetts office’s communication director, said the decision continues Republican Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration’s “commitment to execute clean energy procurements that ensure the Commonwealth is positioned to achieve a clean, affordable, and resilient energy future while progressing towards greenhouse gas reduction requirements.”

Lorenz didn’t detail why Northern Pass was dropped, although there were concerns about the viability of the project after New Hampshire regulators also rejected it in February. Concerns were raised about negative impacts on the tourism industry and local businesses.

Eversource requested a rehearing, but the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee said that would not start until at least May. That’s well past the deadline set by Massachusetts for moving forward with a large-scale clean energy project mandated under a 2016 law.

Despite the setback, Eversource said it will carry on with Northern Pass and argued in a statement that it was “the best project for the region and New Hampshire, and we intend to pursue all options for making it a reality.”

James Torgerson, chief executive of Avangrid, the parent company of Central Maine Power, said he was grateful that Baker and his administration had chosen its project. The $950 million project will provide Massachusetts with power for 20 years and Torgerson said it “will continue to deliver benefits for New England consumers for decades beyond.”

Meanwhile, Eversource has stepped up its campaign to promote the project after the regulatory rejection. Last month, it gathered mayors, union officials and business owners who supported the project and promoted what it said was $300 million in reductions to low-income and business customers in the state from it.

The utility didn’t, however, offer to change the route of the project or bury more of its transmission lines — a key demand from opponents.