In Bill Nemitz’s Sept. 16 column, “Introducing Maine’s latest bogeyman: Retroactivity!” (Page B1), Nemitz asks, “If the transmission project is such a good thing, why aren’t they saying so?”
Does he read the newspaper he works for? The Press Herald has been running ads from New England Clean Energy Connect for months about the merits of the project and the benefits for Maine and the climate.
Nemitz also says Question 1 “essentially asks whether we want to pull the construction mats out from under the ongoing electric transmission corridor.” Then how come Question 1 was not written “Do you want the NECEC, yes or no?” Maybe Nemitz could ask Adam Cote of Mainers for Local Power, a group funded by “local” natural gas generators, why Question 1 is written with such vague language. Nemitz was happy to quote him numerous times.
NECEC will be carrying hydropower from existing dams to replace 1,200 megawatts of fossil fuel-generated electricity, which is a plus for our fight against climate change.
I will be looking for Nemitz’s column on how to replace 1,200 mw of fossil fuel-generated electricity by 2023. The clock is ticking on climate change. Of course, if his plan is going to shut down our local gas-fired power plants, he should expect Cote to fight him.
Joe McNeill
Portland
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