CMP's powerline would help climate

With devastating wildfires in California, an ever-evolving climate, and unstable oil costs, Central Maine Power’s New England Clean Energy Connect is something we should all be embracing as one of many solutions to a much larger problem.

CMP has done painstaking research to pinpoint a route for this plan that will ensure minimal to no impact to our environment. The route from Quebec to Lewiston will go through two main areas. The first is an existing corridor that CMP already owns. The second is forests that have been already harvested and used by our state’s lumber industry. Virtually no untouched land will be affected by NECEC. CMP has now also agreed to go underground instead of over the Kennebec Gorge. That means our pristine views of our state and communities will continue to shine through.

Our time for embracing alternate energy is running out. According to a recent report from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we have only a dozen years to address this problem before things get even more out of hand. If Massachusetts and the rest of New England are using less oil and more hydropower, that will translate into healthier air for all of us to breathe and add greater relief to our wallets at the same time.

It’s time we stop looking back at how we have traditionally addressed our energy needs and start moving forward to more progressive and innovative methods. CMP’s Clean Energy Connect will provide badly needed clean energy to Maine and New England, providing both a healthier source for energy, as well as more savings for our pocketbooks.

Michael Hall

Augusta