I am compelled to respond to misinformation in two recent letters to the editor written by Central Maine Power employees. Pine Tree Power, a consumer-owned utility proposed by our bipartisan Legislature but not signed into law by Gov. Mills, garnered more than enough signatures on a citizens’ petition to be on our November ballot for good reason.

Pine Tree Power is not, in the words of Eric Lunt (Jan. 12), “an exact replica of Long Island’s failed model” that will be “run by politicians.” It is a refinement of consumer-owned utilities functioning in Maine since Madison Electrical Works started in 1888.

Maine now hosts 10 consumer owned-utilities, both municipal and cooperative, whose rates (49% lower as of December 2021) and reliability are better than CMP’s. Its proposed board will consists of seven elected voting members and six expert advisory members. Current workers will keep their jobs, seniority and pensions, with additional employees added as needed.

Ratepayers own the consumer-owned utility, and essentially pay monthly mortgage fees, rather than rent to an investor-owned utility without increasing assets. Consumer-owned utilities reinvest profits, rather than pay foreign investors, as in CMP and Versant.

Consumer-owned utilities are able to borrow money at better interest rates than investor-owned utilities, and receive federal aid after large storm events, unlike investor-owned utilities, reducing rates. We could enhance Maine’s green-energy efforts to slow climate change, and owning utility poles would reduce costs of universal broadband connectivity for Maine.

Please join me in voting November for local, reliable and lower-cost electricity for Maine, with the Pine Tree Power consumer-owned utility.

Katie Huntington
Newcastle