Every day, a glossy advert paid for by CMP and Versant claims that Pine Tree Power is a bad deal for Mainers. Do you think CMP and Versant really feel Pine Tree Power is a bad deal for Maine? Hardly.

What they see is a bad deal for themselves. They are spending $34 million in advertising to preserve their guaranteed profit, $189 million last year. Their decisions are focused on maximizing those profits. It’s what corporations do.

On the other hand, the folks who conceived Pine Tree Power have no personal financial interest. Rather, they see a chance for Maine to lead in consumer-focused energy independence – to facilitate renewable energy to the grid; microgrids; under-grounding some power lines to reduce storm outages. Are there risks in going with Pine Tree Power? Of course. But few have accomplished anything worthwhile without taking a step into uncertainty. I’m voting “Yes” on 3.

Christiaan Beeuwkes
Mercer