CMP is an Albatross around the Neck of Maine Businesses

Republished here by permission of the author. Appeared originally as an Op-Ed in the Portland Press Herald on December 30, 2022 Owning a small business in Maine is both challenging and rewarding. It takes a lot of work and perseverance to build up a successful operation here and I’m proud to be a successful part…

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Consumer-owned utility could save Mainers a lot of money on their electricity

John Brautigam is an attorney and consultant with a practice in public policy and legislative advocacy. He has served in the Maine legislature as a member of the Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee, as Assistant Attorney General, and as Director of Efficiency Maine. This editorial was originally published in the Bangor Daily News on March 7,…

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Young Mainers will be inheriting the grid – we would like to own it

Emily Rochford is a resident of Burnham and a core member of Maine Youth for Climate Justice, a coalition of over 350 youth. She is pursuing a bachelor of science degree in sustainable energy management at Unity College. This editorial was originally published in the Portland Press Herald on June 27, 2021 and is republished…

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Profit-driven utilities not working for Maine

Jennifer Poirier of Skowhegan is a Republican state representative and member of the School Administrative District 54 board of directors. This editorial was originally published by the Portland Press Herald on June 26, 2021 and is republished her by permission of the author. The Pine Tree Power bill, L.D. 1708, was not created quickly. It…

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Change of ownership needed to improve Maine’s power system

Sam May is a former Wall Street analyst with significant experience in both Silicon Valley and Hong Kong; he lives in Portland and is co-founder of Maine Harvest Federal Credit Union. It should come as no surprise that Joshua Broder penned a May 25 column in the BDN in opposition to LD 1708, An Act…

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Consumer-owned Pine Tree Power will work for Maine people

Replacing CMP and Versant with a new company will strengthen our grid, reduce outages and lower rates for Maine families and businesses Nathan Carlow is a Republican state representative from Buxton, a member of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee and a co-sponsor of L.D. 1708. Originally published in the Portland Press Herald on May 29,…

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Public power proposal offers opportunity to match, top MEMIC’s success

Electricity distribution is the ideal industry to replicate the model of a customer-owned, privately run company Dick Woodbury, an economist and a Yarmouth independent, served in the Maine Legislature from 2002 to 2008 and from 2010 to 2014. He was also a weekly commentator on Maine Public Radio’s political roundtable, “Across the Aisle,” from 2014…

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Statement by Nathan Carlow (R-Buxton, Hollis, Saco)

I am Representative Nathan Carlow; I reside in Buxton and have the privilege of representing the good people of House District 16 in the Maine State Legislature.  I’m here today because I know that electricity is central to our quality of life and the future of Maine people and the businesses that support our economy. …

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In rebuttal: Sam May and Sen. Rick Bennett: Flanagan speaks for Spain, not Maine

We welcome foreign investment, but we insist they participate by playing by our rules and working for our benefit, not just theirs. When it comes to a regulated utility like CMP, the state has the absolute right and responsibility to protect its citizens’ interests. Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford) has extensive experience leading Maine businesses and…

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Statement by Seth Berry (D-Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Richmond)

Twelve score and six years ago today, the people of Lexington and Concord rose up against abuse by a foreign power whose only purpose was to extract wealth from its distant colonies. Today, We — the people of Maine — rise to assert our power, and our independence.  Our new bipartisan bill, “An Act to…