I am strongly opposed to the Central Maine Power New England Clean Energy Connect transmission corridor across the western Maine mountains .
An underground project exists in Vermont that already has all its permits and would eliminate any need for the CMP corridor. The CMP project will result in more than 1,800 acres of clearing and 53 miles of new corridor and impact 250 vernal pools and 184 acres of wetlands.
I am an avid outdoorsman who worked in the paper industry for 27 years. I am also a director of the Old Canada Road National Scenic Byway. I question the ability of CMP to keep the proposed corridor free of fire hazards. Most of the corridor is in an area with little or no firefighting personnel.
CMP is very proud to say it ranked No. 1 in customer satisfaction for three years in a row by the prestigious J.D. Power awards. It should be noted that CMP received this J.D. Power award in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The Spanish company Iberdrola bought CMP in 2010, and in 2018 it ranked 13th, which is fifth from the worst among large utilities in the eastern United States.
This is now a company that can’t get its billing correct, and can’t seem to keep the power on. This company doesn’t seem to have the personnel to keep up with even the simple things of running a utility company. This is also a company that wanted to pass on the cost of its deficiencies to the ratepayers.
How can we trust them to build a transmission corridor through the largest undeveloped forest east of the Mississippi and not permanently damage the ecosystem? One major fire would wipe out any monetary benefit this line could ever produce. Please say “no” to NECEC.
Edwin Buzzell
Pittsfield
Send questions/comments to the editors.
