Senator Dill, Representative O’Neil, and members of the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry: My name is Nick Bennett, and I am the staff scientist for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). NRCM is Maine’s largest environmental advocacy group with more than 25,000 members and supporters. I am testifying in support of LD 471. 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.
Support of LD 194, An Act To Prohibit Contributions, Expenditures and Participation by Foreign Government-owned Entities To Influence Referenda
Senator Luchini, Representative Caiazzo, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. My name is Pete Didisheim. I am the Advocacy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and I appreciate this opportunity to testify on behalf of our more than 25,000 members and supporters in support of LD 194, Read More
Hydro-Quebec Exploiting Legal Loophole to Influence Maine Voters
Legislators Consider Bills to Stop Campaigns by Foreign Government-owned Companies NRCM news release March 15, 2021 (Augusta, ME) – Over the past 15 months, Hydro-Quebec has exploited a loophole in state ethics law by spending a record-breaking $10 million on a statewide political campaign aimed at persuading Maine voters to support the controversial Central Maine Read More
What’s at Risk: Photo Essay of the Lands the CMP Corridor Would Destroy
Last fall, Sam Steele of South Portland, Maine, spent six days trekking through the mountainous woodlands of northwestern Maine along Segment 1 of the proposed CMP corridor. CMP has portrayed this region as nothing more than “working forest,” but Sam found something more than that during his trip. Crystal clear streams and mountains, abundant wildlife, Read More
Groups File for Injunction to Halt CMP’s Premature Plans to Begin Corridor Work
News release from Natural Resources Council of Maine, Appalachian Mountain Club, and Sierra Club Maine November 12, 2020 (Augusta, ME) — Three conservation groups have asked a federal judge to halt Central Maine Power’s (CMP) premature plans to begin construction on its controversial transmission line. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), Natural Resources Council of Maine Read More
Environmental Groups File Lawsuit Challenging Army Corps for Indefensible CMP Corridor Analysis
News release from Natural Resources Council of Maine, Appalachian Mountain Club, and Sierra Club Maine Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), and Sierra Club Maine are challenging the Army Corps for failure to rigorously assess impacts of the controversial transmission corridor on Western Maine. The Corps’ inadequate assessment was completed Read More
US Army Corps & Dept. of Energy Identify Major Issues with CMP Corridor
Agencies call out lack of evidence on climate claims even as they coach CMP how to write its own Environmental Assessment August 13, 2020 (Augusta, ME) – A new document obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) shows that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have Read More
Hydro-Quebec Dramatically Escalates Campaign to Influence Maine Elections
NRCM Urges Lawmakers to Close Loophole in Election Laws Exploited by HQ NRCM news release July 30, 2020 (Augusta, ME) – Over the past six months, the foreign government-owned corporation Hydro-Quebec has dramatically escalated its political campaign to interfere with the citizen-initiated referendum to block Central Maine Power’s (CMP) controversial corridor proposal. A new analysis Read More
Explainer: Why the CMP Corridor is a Bad Deal for Maine and the Climate
Central Maine Power’s (CMP) proposed transmission corridor through Western Maine is a bad deal for the North Woods, it’s a bad deal for our climate, and it’s a bad deal for our clean energy future. We want to tell you why. CMP and Hydro-Quebec (HQ) are mounting an aggressive and expensive political campaign using terms Read More
