What does the “Pine Tree Power” plan to replace CMP and Versant have to do with climate change?

Mainers can expect to hear a lot in the coming months about two likely ballot initiatives that deal with whether and how to replace the investor-owned Central Maine Power and Versant Power with a consumer-owned utility. Besides accelerating or delaying our progress toward a livable future, the way we handle this transition might line foreign investors’ pockets, make renewable energy savings more or less accessible, or pile onto the electric bills that many Mainers already struggle to pay every month. Ania Wright, one of the lead petitioners on the Pine Tree Power proposal, argues that a nonprofit utility will be able to invest more efficiently — with more public input and accountability — than a traditional utility can in the electric grid overhaul needed to facilitate decarbonization. Willy Ritch, who leads the CMP-funded campaign against the consumer-owned utility and in favor of the “No Blank Checks” referendum on borrowing limits, argued that small community-run utilities are not a fair comparison, and that many are still using plenty of carbon-heavy fuels.