Dear Editor: 

The referendum Question 3 on the Nov. 7 ballot is of concern to me.  This concern is the creation of a state-controlled power company (i.e., Pine Tree Power Co.) to be run by a board of seven elected officials and six appointed officials who would seize by eminent domain the state’s two privately owned utilities.  This would create up to an estimated $13.5 billion debt, just for the takeover.   This estimate does not include legal fees, start-up costs and maintenance costs. 

The following paragraph information was obtained from the MPUC (Maine Public Utilities Commission) website:  The transmission and distribution utilities (CMP and Versant) deliver electricity by maintaining the infrastructure used for delivery, which includes substations, large transmission lines, distribution lines, utility poles and meters that connect to a home or business.  Delivery costs also include transmission costs (costs of delivering electricity from generating power plants to the grid) and are regulated by  the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  These utilities DO NOT provide the power supply and they DO NOT set the rates for electricity supply. The MPUC conducts the process of choosing electricity suppliers for the standard offer. 

Do you honestly want our government to take over our current utilities? Private industry has a better track record than government run programs. Vote no on Question 3. 

Carole Blanton  

Walpole