So Mass will get Canadian electricity via Maine (Bangor, Hallowell: how much, lawyers)

[Submariner]

Cutting a deal on CMP’s $1 billion project in her old backyard poses early challenge for Mills — Daily Brief — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine

I know there has been a lot of protesting this CMP powerline.

But if Mills' negotiations has CMP providing $190 million in rate reduction for Mainers [over the next 40-years] and to include $50 million for low-income customers. Isn't that a good thing?

The electric consumers in Mass will ultimately be paying for this powerline to be built, and Mainers will see no direct benefit from it.

How much should CMP pay Maine?

They say they are budgeting $1Billion to the construction project.

[Fern435]

Interesting how new Gov. Janet Mills has begun to support the CMP project that benefits Massachusetts residents--after she wins the election. What other groups or politicians benefit from the CMP project that delivers more Quebec hydroelectric power exclusively to Mass.? What changed Mills' mind?

[Fern435]

Update on Governor Mills' position with the CMP transmission line to carry Quebec hydroelectric to Massachusetts:

https://www.sunjournal.com/2019/02/2...ridor-project/

I am against this project, and no amount of electric charging stations or heat pumps will change my mind. New Hampshire refused to have the transmission line go through their state. E tu, Mills?


Quite a lively discussion here, by the way!

Thank you, submariner, for starting this thread.

[Fern435]

Bangor Daily News article about the CMP transmission project through western Maine to supply electricity to Mass.:

https://bangordailynews.com/2019/02/...n-cmp-project/

[Submariner]

I am not against this power line, nor am I in favor of it.

Most people that I know are against it.

We already have a bunch of high-tension power line easements cutting across Maine. I do not see them as preventing wildlife migration.

My concern is about 'Eminent Domain'ing a bunch of private landowners' rights to their private property.

For the state, to take this on as a role of the state, certainly feels as if the state is at the beck and call of industry.

If CMP lawyers felt that they had sufficient legal cause to muster judges to give them Eminent Domain power in the courts, they would have done it already. But that would mean that those lawyers could prove a greater good for society.

But CMP is not going through the courts to get this done. Instead they are trying to negotiate with the governor. Which tells me that their legal case is not strong enough to sway a judge.

I was stationed in Connecticut when a big Eminent Domain case was in the local news, there was a lot of protesting, etc.

When I was a child in California, our power company was able to take my grandfathers homestead land from him to put in a hydroelectric dam. His land lays about 3 miles from the shores of the reservoir. It was all handed to investors after the dam construction was completed. The last time I visited my grandfathers old homestead, investors had turned it into 50' vacation home lots.

I have mixed feelings about the whole process.

I think that if we are going to violate the property rights of a thousand land-owners, the public benefit should be huge, and not just to a group of investors.

As a resident of Maine, I am not sure how much I care about power shortages in Mass.

[jdhpa]

Massachusetts could generate its own power, but doesn't want to ruin its scenic views:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Wind

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by jdhpa

Massachusetts could generate its own power, but doesn't want to ruin its scenic views:

So it is kind of like Mass using Maine as a place to burn and bury their Municipal Waste.

I got into the fight over landfills a couple years ago. In the public hearings we learned a lot about trash and where it gets hauled.

[flyonpa]

Q: Is this Canada thru Maine to Mass Line, a "New" version of the NH "Northern Pass" line that has failed to get done thru NH?

[jdhpa]

Originally Posted by Submariner

So it is kind of like Mass using Maine as a place to burn and bury their Municipal Waste.

Basically, yes. Nothing against (or specific to) Mass, this type of thing is very common.

[Fern435]

Originally Posted by flyonpa

Q: Is this Canada thru Maine to Mass Line, a "New" version of the NH "Northern Pass" line that has failed to get done thru NH?

Yes, from what I've read, this proposal is the new attempt when "Northern Pass" failed to be approved by New Hampshire regulators.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/william.../#454ed9707fdb

N.H. regulators deal blow to hydro transmission project in Canada - Lowell Sun Online

Other Massachusetts news sources sited seemed to indicate that the line through Maine is already a 'done deal'--almost as if, since Massachusetts needs more clean electricity, the corporation behind creating this has a right to it by cutting through Maine.

https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/n...hite-mountains

Follow the money here. What happened to Submariner's family homestead was it made those investors plenty of money. Which groups profit the most from this CMP transmission line cutting through the West Forks/Caratunk area? CMP has not been transparent about this project. How Governor Mills can be supporting this is surprising and disappointing.

Maine Public Utilities Commission is at 101 Second Street, Hallowell Maine 04347. Guess that's where these folks have been meeting to hash out the incentives and spin.

Electric charging stations and heat pumps run on....electicity. Electricity that will have to be purchased from CMP. Quite unselfish of them, isn't it?