I read in your paper on Aug. 6, about “Developer focusing on Vt. power project.” This new power line will be installed underground from the Canadian border to New York City. The developer, New England Clean Power Link, is well on its way to securing the necessary federal permits as well as those from the Vermont Public Utilities Board.
Why can’t Central Maine Power do the same in Maine when it is installing new transmission facilities or replacing 85-year-old overhead transmission lines? Yes, it is expensive initially, but the maintenance costs over the long run are minimal. There would be no more outages from windstorms or vehicles crashing into telephone poles, no more unsightly wires, no land taken by eminent domain.
This is not a new idea. More than 40 years ago, the then-Boston Edison buried a high-tension line from Framingham to Maynard, Massachusetts along the sides of public streets using direct burial cable. Dedicated citizens and local officials made the difference. Since then, there have been improvements in machinery to lay the cable and production of the cable itself. Abutters are much happier and underground cable is kind to the environment.
It’s not too late to install the transmission facilities underground that are still be constructed across Maine to service other states; we should not have to desecrate the State of Maine to carry electric power to others.
We need to have a strong Public Utilities Commission, effective legislation, and energy committee at the State Legislature that will work together to get underground facilities in Maine.
Let’s do something about it!
Estelle W. Wellman, Kennebunk
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
