As a progressive Democrat and a conservative Republican serving in the Maine House, we find our-selves on opposite sides of many issues that come before the Legislature. But one thing we agree on is that a government takeover of the state’s electric grid is a lousy idea...
Op-Eds
What Experts Say
REP. NATHAN WADSWORTH AND REP. CHARLOTTE WARREN
Commentary: Seizing Maine’s utilities won’t get us closer to clean-energy future
Tony Sapienza, Business Manager, IBEW Local 1837 Maine-New Hampshire
Letter to the Editor: We can trust CMP and Versant to manage the electric grid
Recently (Our View, April 10), the Maine Sunday Telegram’s editorial board endorsed a proposal in the Legislature that would add a new layer of bureaucracy to the way our electric grid is managed, maintained and improved. The editors got one thing right: We must move quickly to address climate change and electrify our economy – but they got just about everything else wrong.
MICHAEL MONAHAN, Vice President IBEW International District 2, AND TOM KUHN
Commentary: Government control of Maine’s energy grid is not the answer
The fact is, a government-owned utility controlled mostly by elected politicians and operated by a for-profit contractor would provide few, if any, benefits to Mainers and, using realistic projections, could cost Mainers more than $4.7 billion in additional costs during the first 30 years of operation.
Barbara Alexander, former director of the Consumer Assistance Division of the MPUC
Maine Voices: Public power would be a bad deal for Maine
Maine needs to focus on the tasks before us and not spend millions debating a proposal that will divert our attention from needed investments in reliability of service, ensuring affordable electricity for vulnerable households, and upgrading the grid to handle renewable energy investments. We can achieve all these goals without taking private property and setting in motion years of litigation and delay.
Mark Cayer, Jason Levesque, Michael Foley, David Rollins:
Local mayors skeptical of CMP/Versant takeover legislation
If LD 1708 were to pass, this new consumer-owned utility — governed by elected officials — would be deemed a “quasi-governmental” entity (like a local water district), exempt from property taxes. That would leave our residents and businesses to pay more.
Bangor Daily News
Utility run by elected board would hamper Maine’s climate change work
As one of many in our state who are working to wean our economy off fossil fuels, I believe the proposal currently under consideration in Augusta to form a new Pine Tree Power Company is unwise. Turning our energy future over to a board of elected politicians would set us back in our efforts to achieve carbon neutrality.
Former PUC commissioners:
Don’t put politicians in charge of our electric grid
As former commissioners of Maine’s Public Utilities Commission, we strongly oppose proposed legislation – LD 1708 – that would authorize a new government authority, overseen by politicians, to seize and run CMP and Versant Power. A government takeover would set back Maine’s work on climate change, trigger many years of costly litigation, and ultimately cost ratepayers tens of billions more.
Bangor Daily News
Maine should learn from New York before taking over its utilities
The proposal received a cool reception from Gov. Janet Mills. Once Mainers dig down into the details, the proposal will likely get a cool reception from the public, as well. Maine would be wise to study the takeover of the electric system by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) in New York before moving forward with this venture.
Bangor Daily News
Don’t slow Maine’s green energy momentum by diverting focus to a public power fight
With federal support, smart planning and steady leadership through the global COVID-19 crisis, we have an opportunity to emerge stronger, more resilient and better prepared to meet the challenges of the future. We shouldn’t gamble that strength away on a multi-billion dollar government takeover of the state’s electrical grid. That is what LD 1708, a bill being considered by the Maine Legislature’s Energy Committee, seeks to do.
Maine Policy Institute
A government takeover of CMP and Emera would not benefit ratepayers
During the First Session of the 129th Legislature, Rep. Seth Berry introduced LD 1646, a bill that would create a consumer-owned transmission and distribution utility by forcibly consuming assets and operations of Emera Maine and Central Maine Power (CMP)…