Gov. Mills’ veto of the Pine Tree Power legislation, despite its bipartisan passage in the House and the Senate, shows her disregard for the energy future of the people of Maine. She should have read the recent audit report on Central Maine Power, which does not suggest a better future for CMP customers. It expresses great concern whether anecdotal recent improvements in customer service will be continued, based on the primary focus of CMP’s parent, Avangrid, on profits at the expense of customer service and reliability.

The report suggests it took the threat of Pine Tree Power, plus the desire to get its transmission line to Canada built for the benefit of Massachusetts and Avangrid, to spark some temporary improvements in CMP’s operations. But if CMP can defeat the Pine Tree Power referendum next year, and get the line to Canada built, all focus will return to profits at the expense of Maine customers.

The report clearly shows chaotic management of CMP by Avangrid, with constant turmoil in a management structure with little experience in utility operations. CMP is a microscopic 2 percent of the Avangrid-Iberdrola empire, and efforts are underway to acquire a New Mexico utility, further distracting Avangrid’s focus away from Maine.

Makes me feel sorry for poor CMP staff, trying to run a utility under these conditions without local control. And, it makes me feel sorry for us Mainers, stuck with failed utilities that have left Maine with the least reliable grid and worst customer service in the nation, and high prices, too.

William Dunn
Yarmouth

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