I saw on the television news that CMP’s parent company, Avangrid, is under investigation yet again. This time in New York, where the Department of Public Service is investigating billing problems, meter reading and numerous complaints from ratepayers about poor customer service. There have been over 5,700 complaints. One woman even got a bill for over $68,000.

These mistakes, whether intentional or not, cause tremendous anxiety for all of us, especially the elderly, in this frightening time of the unrelenting pandemic and inflation. These continued errors appear to be part of a pattern for Avangrid and its subsidiaries, like CMP, which, not long ago, was fined $10 million for billing errors and poor customer service in Maine.

Yet, we are supposed to trust CMP to run a massive power line through our state to divert power from one market to a more lucrative market in Massachusetts? This makes no sense for Maine, yet CMP and Avangrid are still pushing for their corridor that would put tens of millions of dollars in their pockets and pennies in ours while completely ignoring the will of Maine voters who rejected the corridor, trying to ram an unwanted project down our throats using tricky legal procedures and tying up the courts.

CMP and Avangrid should respect Maine voters and ratepayers by getting their own houses in order, showing competence and trustworthiness, and abandoning their push for the unwanted corridor.

Judith Hopkins-Hyde
Pownal