Kudos to the Press Herald for digging into Central Maine Power’s ongoing billing issues (June 23). This investigative piece is a great service to Maine and CMP’s customers.

You’ve shown how CMP’s longtime project to switch over to smart metering and upgrade their billing system has been a disaster in so many ways. Their lies, attempts to cover up and inept management of the project and ensuing problems have only worsened the situation. We see what kind of partners we have in CMP and Iberdrola. They seem to have no regard for their customers, who rely on the delivery of power and fair billing practices.

Their responses to the billing problems are beyond belief. It’s no wonder the public doesn’t trust CMP.

With all this in mind, it’s impossible to understand how Gov. Mills can support New England Clean Energy Connect. CMP has left a long trail of broken promises. In a project as sensitive as the ill-conceived corridor project, how can we possibly trust this organization? Even with a reliable and trustworthy partner, the corridor project makes no sense; it’s destructive and dangerous to our wildlife habitats, tourist industries, the North Woods way of life and all the communities in its path.

CMP aside, the great majority of Mainers believe that no amount of money will compensate for the loss of the largest contiguous undeveloped forest east of the Mississippi. For Mainers, there are things more precious than money. For this sacrifice, which is not reversible, Mainers receive nothing of value in return.

It’s time for CMP to pack it in. Take your ball and go home. This is not a game the people of Maine want to play. It’s time to scrap NECEC, and to create a customer-owned electricity provider that truly serves the best interests of the people of Maine and provides clean energy.

G. Bud Samiljan

Durham

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