The proposed Central Maine Power transmission line is bad for Maine and for the environment. New Hampshire has already said no to a similar proposal.
Hydro Quebec has not verified that the energy to be transmitted via this line will result in a net carbon reduction in the Northeast. This is a major problem for all of us. Current global carbon emissions are at crisis levels, according to worldwide scientific consensus.
CMP is fighting hard for this transmission line because of the profit it stands to gain by routing Canadian power to Massachusetts. Its recently proposed token benefits to Mainers mean little in the face of the long-term losses we will bear. CMP’s offer of a 40-year subsidy window for its Maine customers amounts to all of 6 cents per month for the average consumer. Other token subsidies are also insignificant when analyzed over the course of their intended spans. In exchange, CMP would decimate a 53-mile swath of pristine Maine wilderness, leaving a scar that would exist far beyond 40 years.
The environmental consequences of this corridor will cost us in tourism and recreational losses, risks to clean water, disruption to and/or loss of wildlife, suppression of local renewable energy sources, and continued unacceptable levels of carbon emissions. Hardly worth 6 cents a month.
Maine can do better. We can say no to this poorly conceived project and encourage all Northeast states to invest in locally sourced and verifiably clean, renewable power.
It’s our sincere hope that Maine stands up to defend its natural resources and the long-term welfare of both its citizens and its environment.
Jock and Annie Winchester
Pemaquid
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