Given one day to respond when I received notice Dec. 8 that my 2019 rate from Electricity Maine was jumping to 12.9 cents per kilowatt-hour, I emailed their customer service address to cancel.

The reply? “There was a problem delivering our message. The recipient server did not accept our requests to connect.”

Really? So I called. They offered a 25 percent reduction to 9.79 cents per kwh right on the phone.

The Dec. 11 Press Herald (“Electricity rates going up about $6 a month,” Page A1) had the “standard offer” from Central Maine Power at 9 cents per kwh – a 14 percent increase over 2018, because of higher natural gas prices. Still lower than Electricity Maine’s phone offer or the reported two-year price of 10.29 cents. Prices all over the place.

Here’s the thing. Natural gas is CH4 – methane. Burning it sends CO2 into the atmosphere, though less than coal or oil. How about this: Instead of obsessing over 14 percent price increases and power lines running through Maine from Quebec to Massachusetts, why don’t we tap in to it? Quebec has excess capacity in hydropower. It produces no CO2, is renewable and it’s inexpensive.

Why be hostage to CMP’s natural gas story, CO2 and Electricity Maine’s gamesmanship? I say: Make the deal with our neighbors in Quebec. Send our electricity rates down while helping stop global warming.

Douglas Posson

Rockport


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