We can no longer watch television without seeing CMP’s commercials on how great a deal that their Clean Energy Connect Corridor is for Maine. Then we have Hydro Quebec piling it on with their own commercials.
If this is such a great deal why would CMP fight tooth and nail to fight a referendum question allowing the citizens of Maine to decide if we want this great deal? How about telling me how much I’ll save on my monthly bill for example.
I guess CMP believes that we’re to stupid to know what a good deal looks like. Well I know I’m not taking the advice of the worst rated utility in the entire country.
Maybe CMP should just let things play out until November, spend the advertising dollars on the infrastructure here at home, try to move up from last place to say second to last place. CMP can’t handle power delivery here in Maine, let alone Massachusetts now. You can’t save Massachusetts if you can’t even take care of Maine. Let Vermont do it they already have the approval.
Jay Battersby
Solon
Jay, It’s their business, their money, and their project, why should you benefit from something you have nothing invested in, that’s like telling your neighbor to pay your taxes for the privilege of living next to you. CMP doesn’t coerce you to use them, there are other options, granted not as cheap or convenient, but options nonetheless, but you willingly pay them for the convenience of them delivering the power to your house to make your life better, they offered a service, you took it, have it turned off if you are unhappy with the service, doctor gives bad news get a second opinion, a mechanic gives too high of an estimate, get a new mechanic, people feel slighted by CMP, so they complain. If I felt treated poorly by somebody, that somebody would no longer be a part of my life, but people want CMP to make their lives easier by delivering electricity, and they want CMP to pay THEM for the privilege of delivering power to Massachusetts. Enough with the “private land is public land and we control it all” BS, America is not a socialist or communist country, try to live in reality for a while, it’s really fun.
CMP is Dead Last in Customer Service.
AND THEY DO NOT CARE.
This is proven by their actions.
Now THAT’S REALITY.
If that’s a fun reality for you,,, I feel sorry for you.
Hrtlss, unsufferable.
Great letter Jay.
HB – while “it” might be their business there is nothing that says we can’t complain, particularly in light of the fact that cmp has been derelict in maintaining their lines and has cheated ratepayers. Moreover, this corridor will have negative effects beyond their land and THAT is the point. The likely externalities from this will reach far beyond the confines of their 300 foot right-of-way. It is also quite annoying that, in these times with Covid-19, we have to see cmp’s ads and know that they are spending millions of $$$ to try to convince people that the NECEC is ‘good for Maine’. It’s not the fact that they can do this, it’s the point that there are many people in tough situations due to Covid-19 and to see the ad that represents considerable money spent when it could be used for other, more practical applications is more than a bit callous. I suppose that being told multiple times a day that the NECEC is good for Maine might seem a bit excessive. Most of us already know either that it is or isn’t. Sort of like why does the gov’t let Steve Mnuchin stay in a hotel suite at $8300/night when I am sure they could find a suitable one for far less.
Heartless,
CMP is a privately owned public utility.
CMP is a sanctioned monopoly.
It is therefore regulated.
We can argue over the amount of control, but a degree of public control over the actions of public utilities does not make us communists. It gives us a modicum of control over huge corporations.
HB- Where do I start? First you’re right if I’m not happy with CMP I guess I could generate my own power but as you said of a mechanic if I don’t like my mechanic I can go to another mechanic not so with a monopoly. I also don’t believe a private company should take land by eminent domain for a for profit business venture for the sole purpose to supply power for Massachusetts. Maybe you don’t have a problem with that and that is what CMP is banking on that the majority of Mariners are drinking the same koolaid as you.
Great letter Jay.
By the way, if CMP’s true motivation is making tons of money off this high powered transmission line called the NECEC, which it is, why don’t they just say so?
Oh, that’s right, you can’t candy coat that with smiling children, sparkling clear running waters, happy hikers,
and scenic whimsical Maine towns.
It’s called false advertising. Because CMP can’t prove a thing that they’re selling on their commercials and advertisements. Not a thing…
See you all at the polls in November.
Cmp is a delivery service. Which is the ONLY gig in the state. You buy ELECTRICITY from another provider. C.N.BROWN supplys electricity and gives you a better rate than standard offer and gives you a break on other services it offers. I SAY IF THEY ,CMP, WANTS THEIR TRANSMISSION LINE , EVERY RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS IN THE COUNTYS IT RUNS THROUGH SHOULD GET FREE ELECTRICITY PAID FOR BY CMP. AS LONG AS THEIR TRANSMISSION LINE IS UP. PERIOD
The only place CMP does not have a monopoly is on paper. Unlike going to a different mechanic with different ownership CMP own the poles for as far as you can see from most homes. To say you can go to someone else and get them out of your life is horsefeathers. Its a monopoly. On one side this is private property and on the other we are free to go to someone else. This is like saying your free to pay a hundred dollars an hour at your Maine Ford Dealership or you can go to Texas and pay a hundred dollars an hour at our Ford dealership there you have a choice! Any other corporation in the USA that publicly displayed the “ALL ABOUT ME” attitude would feel immediate customer backlash. Because power companies supply a public necessity they have been given a lot of latitude. Its a monopoly. Not only that but I want to be the first one to tour the “Socialistic Canadian Power Conversion Station” to capitalism at our border. Its not like we dont allready struggle in other areas competing with Canada and its subsidized business. It may be because huge corporations and shareholders are taking full advantage of this monopoly here to make huge profits. Canada does what we should to begin with, sells it through CMP at a profit, so our business here has an even more disadvantage through cheaper power for Canadians they turn around and send it to Mass at an even bigger profit. Sooner or later everyone elses cost creeps up to the inflated Mass economy while CMP and Canada laugh all the way to the bank.What part of buying socialistic power at capitalistic prices from a public utility monopoly dont you understand.It never ceases to amaze me at how great we are at putting the screws to ourselves. How anyone can claim this or the massive drain of money outside this country is good business for the public part of public utility is beyond me. Socialistic Canada. Private Property.Public Utility Monopoly. Capitalistic USA The only way this ties together and makes sense you can support is in a Portfolio unless some changes are made.
Show me verifiable documentation of cmp being this horrible monster!! Maybe I’m just special but I’ve found their customer service very professional and helpful. Their line crew recently engineered and installed a difficult service for us seamlessly. And again I’ll mention my cmp bill at my home is an outrageous $2/day…..
Capt,
The massive problems with CMP is not about their workers. It’s about their corporation.
There’s a class action lawsuit against CMP pending FOR SCREWING CUSTOMERS on their bill. Rather than fix the customer issues, CMP is spending millions to influence commissions and politicians to delay the lawsuit going forward.
Not to mention the millions in their media lying campaign complete with sparkling waters and chirping birds…
Oh, and then there’s the JD POWER survey putting them DEAD LAST IN THE NATION FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
https://www.pressherald.com/2019/11/14/cmp-ranks-as-lowest-rated-utility-in-the-country-among-business-customers/
http://wgme.com/news/i-team/cmp-ranks-last-nationwide-in-customer-satisfaction-according-to-new-survey
A Good Service provider does not have customers seeking class action law suits against them.
And a Good Service Provider certainly doesnt get ranked DEAD LAST IN THE NATION.
I’ll just be glad when CMPs foreign owner changes their name to something without Maine in it.
CMP is nothing to be proud of anymore.
CMP IS DISHONEST.
THEY ARE “SELLING” A BAD DEAL FOR MAINE.
NO CORRIDOR.