I am writing to acknowledge and thank the Democratic and Republican chairs of the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee and the Environment and Natural Resources Committee for looking out for the people of Maine in their recent letter to the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities regarding Central Maine Power’s New England Clean Energy Connect project.

Sens. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, and David Woodsome, R-Waterboro, and Reps. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, and Ralph Tucker, D-Brunswick, raised significant concerns about the proposed 145-mile New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line to bring hydropower from Quebec to Massachusetts through Maine.

Specifically, CMP’s transmission line would have a massive impact on our natural resources while providing little benefit to Mainers since all of the electricity from New England Clean Energy Connect will be sent to Massachusetts. The proposed route would tarnish 53 miles of undisturbed land in Maine, cross the Kennebec River Gorge, the Appalachian Trail and 115 streams, and affect 263 different wetlands.

Energy regulators in New Hampshire already rejected a similar transmission line proposal, commonly known as Northern Pass, over concerns about its impact on natural resources, local business, tourism and development in New Hampshire.

Why should we allow a project in Maine that will simply line the pockets of CMP, which stands to make $60 million a year, while providing no meaningful benefits to Maine?

Our lawmakers oppose New England Clean Energy Connect because it may result in lost jobs and taxes in Maine if existing power plants are forced to close; it is unlikely to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, as supporters claim, and it does not offer “meaningful benefits” to the people of Maine.

Thanks again to Sens. Saviello and Woodsome and Reps. Berry and Tucker for standing up for Maine people. We need and deserve a voice in this debate.

Dwight Ely

Scarborough