by Ben Hanstein Daily Bulldog news story FARMINGTON – County commissioners will draft a letter to Central Maine Power after the state senator representing Franklin County expressed concerns with how the project would benefit local communities. Commissioners previously submitted a letter in support of the project, which would run a 145-mile transmission line from the Read More
CMP Transmission Line Proposal: A Bad Deal for Maine
Central Maine Power (CMP) is proposing to build a 145-mile, high-voltage, direct current transmission line from the Quebec-Maine border to an interconnection with the existing New England grid in Lewiston. About 53 miles of the CMP transmission line route would create a brand new transmission corridor; requiring clearing of a large, currently undisturbed, swath of Maine’s North Woods.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine opposes the CMP corridor because it would harm Maine forests and wildlife, suppress Maine's renewable energy industry, and could actually increase climate change emissions, all without any clear benefit to Maine or Massachusetts.
Under its proposal, CMP would expand the other 92 miles of transmission line, requiring clearing more vegetation and undertaking additional development within existing corridors. The proposed CMP transmission line includes above-ground transmission lines across the Kennebec River Gorge, the Appalachian Trail, 263 wetlands, 115 streams, 12 inland waterfowl and wading bird habitat areas, and near Beattie Pond, a Class 6 remote pond.
Patagonia Joins Fight against CMP Transmission Line through Maine
The California-based outdoor apparel retailer founded by a Maine native backs the Natural Resources Council of Maine’s petition to stop the 145-mile project. by Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Activist outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia is encouraging followers on Facebook to sign a petition opposing a proposed transmission line that would carry Canadian Read More
CMP Offers $22 Million for Conservation to Make Up for Power Line Impact
The company negotiates a deal with Western Mountains & Rivers Corp. as part of its plan to bring power from Canada to Massachusetts via a 145-mile transmission line through western Maine. by Dennis Hoey, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Central Maine Power Co. and a Somerset County nonprofit have reached an agreement on a Read More
Central Maine Power Proposal Way Over the Line
A plan to cut a transmission line through the north woods makes no sense for Maine. By George Smith Central Maine newspapers column It’s hard to imagine a worse idea than Central Maine Power’s proposal to construct a massive new transmission line through Maine to move electricity from Quebec to Massachusetts. The good people of Read More
Central Maine Power Project a Bad Deal for Maine
The proposal would allow a foreign company to cut a wide swatch through the forest of northern Maine, with little benefit to the state. By Tom Saviello, Republican state senator from Wilton Central Maine Newspapers op-ed Imagine what the people of Maine would think if a European company decided to cut a path the width Read More
Legislators Battle with LePage Over CMP’s Proposed Transmission Line
by Andy O’Brien Free Press news story Gov. Paul LePage and Central Maine Power are battling it out with environmental groups, local power generators and a bipartisan group of legislators over a proposed $950 million electrical transmission line from Lewiston to Quebec. The 146-mile New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC), which is a joint effort Read More
Baker Adviser Helped Energy Firms Land Big Mass. Contracts
By Joshua Miller and Jon Chesto Globe Staff Boston Globe news story The top political adviser to Governor Charlie Baker also provided strategic and communications advice as a paid consultant to two companies that recently landed massive clean energy contracts in Massachusetts. Jim Conroy, an experienced political strategist who managed Baker’s 2014 campaign and is Read More
Farmington Rethinks Endorsement of Quebec to Massachusetts Power Line
In a letter, Gov. Paul LePage said four lawmakers who wrote to Massachusetts expressing their opposition to the New England Clean Energy Connect project “may now have to deal with reprimands.” by Rachel Ohm, Staff Writer Central Maine newspaper news story FARMINGTON — Town officials are rethinking their endorsement of the New England Clean Energy Read More
Maine Lawmakers Tell Massachusetts Officials to Reject CMP Project
By Fred Bever & Keith Shortall Maine Public news story A bipartisan group of influential Maine lawmakers is telling Massachusetts regulators to reject Central Maine Power’s (CMP) proposal to build a big transmission line through western Maine. The 145-mile high voltage line would bring electricity from Hydro-Québec’s dam system in Canada down to Massachusetts consumers. Read More
