The recent article on Maine’s rising electricity rates (“Maine’s electricity prices grew at third fastest rate in U.S., analysis shows,” April 27) gives an incomplete picture of the real causes and solutions.

Rates have risen in Maine, but they are still among the cheapest in New England. The article blames high costs on renewable energy but downplays the real driver: our dependence on natural gas.

In New England, natural gas dominates how electricity prices are set. That leaves us vulnerable to volatile markets and geopolitical events, like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The article suggests adding a new pipeline, but who knows what its cost will be given President Trump’s 25% steel tariff and the economic chaos we are facing. Who’s going to bear the risk of that cost going through the roof, or future price shocks — ratepayers? Our grandchildren would be paying for the pipeline many decades from now.

Renewables have no fuel cost. Solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower energy will always be cheaper than polluting gas, oil and coal. The wise investment is to build infrastructure that will deliver lower-cost clean energy efficiently.

The article glosses over the social and economic costs of dirty fossil fuels: increased asthma, more frequent and severe storms and floods and millions of dollars spent rebuilding roads and bridges. And, who ultimately pays for that? We do.

We need to invest now in generating and transmitting clean energy, not double down on a risky polluting pipeline that would burden ratepayers for generations to come.

Daniel Amory
Portland