Judging by recent letters to the editor, there’s a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about the proposed Pine Tree Power.

First of all, it will not be a “government-owned” utility, run by politicians. It will be consumer-owned, run by a board of directors elected by residents in all parts of Maine, and the technical experts chosen by them. Unlike CMP and Versant, who are owned by foreign companies to make a profit for their stockholders, Pine Tree Power will be owned entirely by Maine consumers, and only for the benefit of those consumers, not for profit. So their one and only priority will be to provide reliable, affordable, clean energy in the best way possible.

Contrast that with CMP and Versant, which exist as cash cows, prioritizing profits over service. That’s why their customer-satisfaction ratings are among the lowest of any utility in the nation. (The five highest-ranking, by the way, are all consumer-owned.)

Secondly, the terms of the Pine Tree Power referendum call for keeping on all the rank-and-file workers who are currently employed by CMP/Versant, providing two years of bonus pay to keep workers and their local knowledge, and guaranteeing all worker and retiree pensions and benefits.

So don’t believe all the misinformation that CMP/Versant is putting out there. They have lots of money to spend on scaring us. Check the facts at ourpowermaine.org. And when the referendum comes to a vote, vote in your own best interest.

Claire Prontnicki

Waterville