The time has come for Maine to get the ball rolling as far as climate change. That is why I support the New England Clean Energy Connect.
Opponents of this project claim the construction of the corridor will scar Maine’s natural beauty forever. I think climate change is a much bigger threat to this state than the project.
The forests and land that would be used to construct the corridor are not untouched, pristine wilderness. Those roads have been harvested and forested for decades by Maine’s lumber industry. Trees are a crop that is harvested regularly in Maine. When the contract runs out in 40 years these trees will come back, just like any other crop.
We should not overstate the number of trees that are affected by the corridor. Maine has more than 17 million acres of trees. Less than half of one percent will be affected when construction is complete. Meanwhile, another 40,000 acres will be preserved, as decided by the Maine DEP.
Shouldn’t people be looking at the bigger picture? Many, many more trees will be impacted if climate change goes unchecked in Maine.
Building the corridor will prevent millions of metric tons of carbon from being spewed annually, which is exactly what happens when fossil fuels are burned. The project is a major step in the fight against the climate crisis.
The project is too important to the future of Maine. It is time all Mainers support it and build the line.
Patrick Vallee, Auburn
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