MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 31, 2021
Like many of us in Maine, I have been skeptical about Central Maine Power’s Clean Energy Connect project. But I have changed my mind, and here is why: New England is an energy “island” – particular during the winter. Our electricity prices are still driven by natural gas prices because it is the marginal source of power. But there isn’t enough gas infrastructure to meet our demand. The most effective way to bridge this gap is new transmission infrastructure. It doesn’t matter if the power is for Massachusetts – what matters is expanding capacity into the region. The biggest challenge with renewable power is the reality that the wind and sun are variable. We need to invest in additional transmission at the same time we invest in new clean energy sources. The CMP line does exactly that. ~ Thomas Robinson, Portland