To the Editor:

I’m tired of opponents of the power line from Quebec misleading the public by claiming that this power line will not cut greenhouse gases. With all the disasters from climate change demonstrated nearly every day, we need the facts, not BS. The facts are that every expert who has looked at this power line, including the state’s Department of Public Utilities, has concluded that the hydropower flowing through this line will displace coal, gas, and oil. The DPU determined that this one project alone will cut greenhouse gases by 3.6 million tons per year, the equivalent of taking 700,000 cars off the road.

Opponents claim that Hydro Quebec, which owns the hydropower dams, will sell clean power through this line but cut its supply of clean power to other purchasers, so there is no net gain. This makes no sense. Hydro Quebec started expanding its facilities 15 years ago, anticipating that New England would need its low-cost, clean energy. It now has excess hydropower, and it can send clean power through this line and continue to supply its existing customers. Also, HQ’s other customers, such as the state of New York and the Province of Ontario, are also required by their own laws to cut their carbon emissions and they have contracted for clean power from HQ.

I hope the opponent’s disinformation campaign will come to an end soon, but I’m not holding my breath—it’s being funded by the fossil fuel industry, the same folks who for decades told us that climate change wasn’t real.
Don’t give in to these false claims – vote “No” on Question One.

Andrew Pueschner
Norway

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