The Sun Journal on Feb. 4 printed another letter from a reader who wishes to rewrite the history of the NECEC corridor (“New England’s energy grid needs to become more diverse“).

According to this version of events, the referendum to stop the corridor wasn’t a grassroots effort propelled by volunteers and supported by 59% of Maine voters in a strong showing of bipartisan unity. No, according to this version, the referendum only passed because companies like NextEra beat up on poor little multinational Avangrid and duped ignorant Maine voters, who should now become big fans of the project because electricity rates have risen.

Although the initial claims of savings by CMP were pitifully small (less than $3 per month per customer), we’re now hearing that the corridor “could” lower rates.

Facts: The proposed corridor would be a transmission line cutting through western Maine from Quebec to bring electricity to Massachusetts, a hugely profitable project for CMP and its parent companies. Maine is meant to be the cheap date after New Hampshire turned down the project and Vermont demanded that the transmission line be placed underground.

It’s not about clean energy or reducing existing greenhouse gas emissions.

It’s not about making our energy grid more diverse, thereby lowering electricity rates. It’s a one-way DC corridor that will not carry any local wind or solar power.

Nothing has changed, except that in the end the will of the voters could be overturned and the country’s most unpopular utility company could get just what it wants.

Renee Cote, Auburn

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