The simple answer to the debate about the new Central Maine Power line from Quebec is to have it put underground. This was accomplished in Vermont and is still being debated in New Hampshire with much public opposition. Maine is our state and we residents do have a say in this venture.

Isn’t the line going through Lewiston or patched into existing infrastructure at that point? I think the Public Utilities Commission should require CMP to build a distribution center somewhere in the Lewiston area to distribute Maine’s power from there before it goes to the New England grid and returns with their burdened costs. Why shouldn’t our sacrifice of land result in first dibs on the electricity? It should save ratepayers in the cost of power.

The Public Utilities Commission should then give Maine some economic return on the right of way from the underground power transmission line by charging Hydro Quebec power some portion as a pass-through charge to go towards maintenance of Maine’s Western Mountains to compensate for clear cutting a corridor and the poisonous herbicide use.

CMP is in the sweet spot here. They have no skin in the game and stand to earn hundreds of millions of dollars acting as the general contractor. So why should we even debate with them about what the power line will look like? We should be dictating the terms.

 

Frederick Drew

West Gardiner

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