MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • February 28, 2021
It’s official. In November, Mainers will get to vote on whether we should have a new way to say “no.” The Secretary of State’s Office has validated more than 80,000 signatures, 20,000 more than needed to put a question on the ballot designed to cripple the controversial New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line project, which would bring Canadian hydroelectric power bought by Massachusetts utilities to the regional electric grid through Maine. Moving all that electricity from generation sources that don’t yet exist to the places where it’s needed is going to take a long-term commitment to building infrastructure – and lots of it. And there are a couple of things about infrastructure: It’s really expensive, and, for the most part, it’s really ugly. If successful, the referendum will give Maine people more ways to say “no.” But as we respond to the climate crisis, we will also need ways to say “yes.” ~ Greg Kesich