I felt compelled to respond to David Vail’s input (“Get facts straight on Pine Tree Power,” Aug. 16) regarding my letter to the editor (“Pine Tree Power? Are we losing our minds?” Aug. 9). I won’t call Vail ignorant whereas he is entitled to his opinion. Instead, I will ask everyone to read between the lines what Vail’s comments say. Pine Tree Power will reportedly be run by a team of specialists and experts. If this initiative succeeds, and make no mistake, this is a government takeover of a private business, who are these team of specialists and experts? Who appoints them? What is the structure of the board that will appoint these experts? Will the citizens get to vote? No one can answer these questions. But again, the message is “give us more power and everything will get better.” I think this is morally and legally wrong.

We are already paying higher rates due to government mandates to subsidize the solar industry that cannot survive on its own. Pine Tree says the intent is to strengthen the power grid and bring down the prices. I believe we had the opportunity to do this by supporting the CMP corridor from Quebec to the New England grid using clean, green, renewable energy and lower the cost. However, environmentalists got into bed with big oil to spin the message that this was bad for us and bad for the environment. I dare say that many that support Pine Tree opposed this effort for clean energy. Ironic.

The citizens of Maine have the power right now by voting into the legislature people that will overturn the mandated subsidies to solar power, supporting initiatives that bring sustainable clean energy like the CMP corridor and keep government from threatening private businesses with a forced takeover. I urge everyone to oppose this immoral government takeover.

Michael Buhelt
Gray