After touting the advantages of Central Maine Power’s New England Clean Energy Connect and singing their praises, maybe Janet Mills has awakened to the reality that CMP’s NECEC offers little support reaching Maine’s zero-carbon goal.

Since taking office, she’s been remarkably silent on the fact that CMP’s rating among business customers is the worst in the nation with no sign of improvement. CMP is privately owned by foreign interests and traded on the stock exchange. The only incentive for investors and owners is to increase their portfolio’s value, leaving no financial space or interest to reach Maine’s clean-energy goal.

CMP has money for promoting their clean-energy corridor but no money to honor all renewable interconnection contracts they signed with municipalities and solar energy developers. For years CMP has been leaving a trail of broken promises, roadblocks and misinformation, putting municipalities, solar developers and many clean-energy jobs for Maine people out in the cold. It’s time for the governor to disconnect from CMP and support a transition of our grid into a nonprofit Maine consumer-owned utility through a low-interest bond.

Janet Mills and Maine would be better served if we all took a step away from CMP. The corridor has little to no support of Maine people. It will not bring us clean energy, but will impact negatively our greatest asset for job growth and our economy: tourism.

Clifford Krolick
Parsonsfield

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