Oppose the Question 3 takeover of our power grid

To the Editor;

On Nov. 7, Mainers have the opportunity to vote on Question 3 — in my opinion the most significant referendum proposal we’ve ever voted on. I am urging my fellow Mainers to oppose this takeover of our power grid.

The numbers just don’t add up. Not only will this proposal cost Maine ratepayers an estimated $13.5 billion to complete the takeover, but it will likely be held up in court for years. How many improvements to the reliability of our electricity grid could be postponed because of this litigation?

I think the proposal is especially concerning for rural Maine families and small businesses. After a storm, our privately owned utility companies work diligently to restore power as quickly as possible. We all have friends and neighbors who go out on holidays, or in dangerous conditions, to restore our power. People should know that most of these line workers have officially come out in opposition to Question 3.

How much money are we willing to spend fighting this proposal when it goes to court, rather than improving the reliability of our grid to reduce the number of outages we all face? This proposal feels like once again those of us in rural Maine will be forgotten. Without electricity, our economy doesn’t function. We must continue to invest and improve our infrastructure because we depend on it, especially those of us who live off the beaten path.

Please vote no on Question 3.

Trisha White

County Treasurer

Piscataquis County

Guilford