The Central Maine Power Corridor is about foreign corporations making billions in profit. Period.

CMP didn’t propose the corridor because it would enhance reliability or lower rates for Maine (or Massachusetts) ratepayers. Their underlying goal isn’t to support temporary construction jobs or provide new local tax revenues. They didn’t just decide to be a good corporate citizen and make an investment to address climate change. And they certainly didn’t propose the corridor because they thought it would enhance local recreational opportunities. Those claims are just part of CMP’s corridor marketing spiel, and the record shows most of those claims aren’t true.

CMP’s claimed benefits are nothing more than incidental impacts — byproducts — of a project that is nothing more than a self-serving Avangrid/Iberdrola earnings opportunity. The purpose behind building an extension cord through Maine has nothing to do with Maine ratepayers or the climate. It’s about money.

It would be a different situation if NECEC was being promoted to address an identified need for new transmission to maintain local or regional reliability — which it doesn’t. Or, if CMP proposed something to actually help its ratepayers — which they didn’t. Or, if it really was an efficient, effective way to address global greenhouse gas emissions — which it isn’t.

Even the Office of the Maine Public Advocate stated, NECEC “is solely a business proposition: CMP is involved to make money for its shareholders.”

Destruction with no proven benefits to Mainers? Join me in voting yes to reject the CMP Corridor on Nov. 2.

 

David R. Hedrick

Waterville

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