State takeover of utilities would raise costs

I’m Isaiah Wadsworth. I’m 26, a USM alumnus and a proud Central Maine Power employee. I’m very concerned with L.D. 1708, the act to create Pine Tree Power.

Respectfully, Rep. Seth Berry’s calculations don’t add up. The government takeover would require a buyout worth billions of dollars. This debt would need to be paid through rates or taxes. Reduced expense is a false advertisement; expenses would increase. It’s Economics 101.

Second, I don’t believe the government could better manage the grid. The state has no experience; CMP has 120 years. My colleagues are experts, many who’ve spent decades serving our customers. I don’t think regrouping the workforce is wise. Especially when considering reliability, green energy and infrastructure upgrades. But I guess that doesn’t matter? There wouldn’t be funds left for those programs due to the debt mentioned above.

Third, by passing this bill you are replacing long-term careers with temporary positions. This is a disservice to the Maine workforce. Under Pine Tree Power, future grid operators would be selected through state procurement, and the operator could change every few years, jeopardizing career opportunities and job security as opposed to how careers are built at CMP, which is a fantastic place to work. I started here five years ago as an intern and have had many great opportunities.

I hope voters will think twice and keep the dedicated employees of CMP and Versant Power on board so we can continue to proudly serve Maine. Thank you.

Isaiah Wadsworth

Waterville