It was shocking to read that Sue Ely and Nick Bennett, writing for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, referred to the Clean Energy Corridor as “the most damaging project in Maine history” (Sun Journal, Aug. 2).

That is simply wrong. False. Untrue. Call it whatever you like. In fact, the opposite is true.

By eliminating millions of metric tons of carbon emissions that cause warming, the power line is good for everyone’s environment — including Maine’s North Woods, which are vulnerable to rising temperatures.

The fact is that two thirds of the Clean Energy Corridor follow existing power lines built for Maine’s hydroelectric industry almost a century ago. The remaining miles of new corridor will run through commercial working forests, where timber is already being harvested. And let’s remember that Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection has required that 40,000 acres of forest be designated a nature reserve to compensate for it. That is 40 times the acres necessary for the corridor, protected for Maine’s future.

It is shocking that NRCM argued that “there is no independent evidence the transmission line would reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.” That statement is astonishing for Quebecers, who have been reading newspaper articles on Hydro-Québec’s clean energy surplus for years. The fact is that the project will cut 3 million metric tons of emissions per year from Maine’s air by displacing dirty fossil-fuel generation. That’s equivalent to removing over 700,000 cars from the road.

How ironic that NRCM pretends to protect the environment while at the same time accepting money from an entity suspected to be financed by the fossil fuel industry and under investigation by the Maine Ethics Commission (“Stop the Corridor”), and partnering with them to do all it can to derail the best renewable project currently underway in Maine. Seriously, can Mainers give more credibility to that lobbying organization than to their own Public Utilities Commission and Department of Environmental Protection? Really? In over a year of this debate, NRCM has not once proposed anything to fight climate change.

And, by the way, NRCM just conveniently forgot to mention in its commentary the recent announcement from Gov. Janet Mills on Hydro-Québec’s commitment to provide Maine with 500,000 megawatt-hours of renewable hydropower (enough to power 70,000 homes or 10,000 businesses each year) at a discounted price, representing a 12% savings to customers.

Let’s put an end to disinformation. It’s time to stop being taken for a ride by the real opposition to the Clean Energy Corridor — oil and gas companies. That leads directly to a dead end — the status quo. Mainers should consider that to be the bad deal.

Which is worse: lines bringing clean energy to Mainers at a discount, or dirty, expensive fossil fuel destroying the environment?

Seems like an easy choice.

Serge Abergel, director, external relations

Hydro-Québec, Montreal