Dear Editor:

On Oct. 4, Senator Chloe Maxmin discussed at length her opposition to the clean energy corridor and her support of Question 1 with constituents at a coffee chat.

Just a month ago, on social media, Sen. Maxmin nobly supported and celebrated her alma mater, Harvard University’s decision to totally divest from fossil fuels. How ironic and hypocritical it is that she continues to join forces with Texas and Florida based fossil fuel giants NextEra, Calpine, and Vistra in supporting their ballot question to block the clean energy corridor.

She has consistently put more faith in fossil fuel lobbyists than Maine’s own independent, career officials at the Maine PUC, Maine DEP, and Maine LUPC. The longstanding and in-depth permitting processes at these agencies are meant to depoliticize the process, but Sen. Maxmin would rather bring the politics of the Legislature into these decisions currently overseen by apolitical experts.

She trusts the fossil fuel companies’ $10 million propaganda campaign more than President Biden’s climate plan which stresses the need to build thousands of miles of new transmission lines to achieve a clean energy future and eliminate carbon from the U.S. power system by 2035.

It’s clear why the fossil fuel industry has been engaging in a nationwide effort to block these clean energy corridor projects, including via ballot questions like here in Maine: it will significantly harm their bottom line. The question is, why is Senator Maxmin teaming up with these polluters by trumpeting their talking points at legislative hearings, on social media, and with constituents at coffee chats?

In the fight between Canadian clean energy and Texas/Florida fossil fuels, Sen. Maxmin takes the side of the fossil fuel companies and voted to ban the clean energy company from defending itself in Maine.
 
Senator Maxmin seems to be allowing her hatred of CMP to cloud her judgement when it comes to addressing the climate crisis.
 
I urge you to not follow her path and reject the fossil-fuel funded ballot question by joining me in voting No on 1.

Laura Honey

Boothbay Harbor