Last year, a clear majority of Maine voters decided that a proposed power line – the so-called New England Clean Energy Connect – should not be built in our state. Now Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court has held that the referendum we voted to approve must be struck down if work on the project was done in good faith and was too far along when the vote was held.

But one thing has been noticeably absent during the years of proceedings over this proposed transmission line. Central Maine Power and other backers of the project have never explained how taking electricity generated and currently used in Quebec and transmitting it 150 miles to Massachusetts would do anything to counteract climate change.

Moving power from one electricity market to another does not seem to be a net benefit in the effort to overcome a global challenge caused to a great degree by overuse and waste of energy. Even if we call it “green” power, how does building towers and lines to carry electricity through Maine do anything to resolve the climate crisis?

CMP is planning to make some money, OK, but what is their NECEC power line going to do for climate protection?

Jon Hinck
Portland