Dear Editor:

The recent rate hikes that the Publlic Utilities Commission just granted to Central Maine Power and Versant sting a bit as we pay our monthly bills, but they really hurt when we reflect on the fact that both of these companies charge us 49% more than the consumer-owned ultilities (COUs) now serving 97 towns in Maine charge their customers.

For-profit, investor-owned ultilities (IOUs) CMP and Versant not only siphon off our dollars to enrich foreign corporations and the emir of Qatar, but they overcharge us $156,000,000 per year for inferior service.  CMP came in dead last of all electric utilities in the J.D. Power 2020 national survey of customer satisfaction; Versant was third-to-last.

We can do better (and cheaper!) than this. Please consider voting yes on the ballot initiative this November to replace CMP and Versant with Maine’s first statewide, consumer-owned utility, Pine Tree Power.

Get the facts at www.ourpowermaine.org.