For Maine to grant Central Maine Power permission to build a power transmission corridor from the Canadian border through western Maine, all the facts should be considered.
The project will result in loss of habitat for fish and wildlife, loss of trees and vegetation capable of absorbing carbon dioxide, land expropriated from individuals and companies, and loss of recreational areas. It will create a big, ugly swath of huge transmission towers through our treasured wilderness areas.
Does this actually result in a reduction in carbon emissions, since this, on the surface, sounds like electricity is being provided to Massachusetts that comes from environmentally better hydropower?
It has been reported that Hydro-Quebec, who produces the power, often operates at capacity of its resources. Is this true? Will selling electricity to Massachusetts push demand on Hydro-Quebec beyond its hydro capacity and force them to utilize coal-fired, polluting power plants to meet the demand? The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has not been able to see this information and therefore has not considered this most important data.
True that Maine will receive what seems a big chunk of money for allowing this, but CMP will profit far greater. Do we want to allow something that takes resources and environmentally valuable assets from Mainers yet does nothing positive to reduce carbon emissions and possibly even increases them just to gain a payoff from CMP? If this is the case, it is shortsighted and wrong.
That’s why the Natural Resource Council of Maine is urging passage of L.D. 640, which would require an independent, fair, and comprehensive analysis of the CMP corridor’s impact on climate change-causing emissions.
Contact your legislators and the Public Utilities Commission. Encourage them to get the facts, then decide.
Philip Conner
Harpswell
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