It is becoming apparent that the proposed wind and transmission project in Aroostook County is going down the same path that L S Power took on the previous solicitation from the Maine PUC, only worse.

The many more moving parts, such as the ISO-NE piece, the generation piece, the generation lead line piece and the fact the PUC has invited "Coordinating States" to the party has so much confusion with it, bidders are asking about price adjustments after the fact.

But, the Maine people will know nothing about all this because the PUC feels protecting the bidders is more important than protecting the people of Maine. 

One state missing from the "Coordinating States" is New Hampshire. There are New Hampshire officials thinking that making New Hampshire residents pay for transmission upgrades to favor wind/renewable projects based on other state policies is counter to their energy policies. New Hampshire voices should be heard. 

This project has disaster written all over it. Not one bidder has a realistic grasp of the eventual costs and the question asked of the PUC indicates this. Not one Maine citizen expects this project will save them money. 

If the PUC thinks they can get common agreements among the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island and Maine, they are surely of an irrational mindset. 

The only real question is should Maine ratepayers be paying for, who knows how long, as the PUC tries to move through all the entanglements this project will encounter.

 

The best outcome would have the PUC continue the secrecy into the rejection of all bids and pretend this "baby" of Senator Jackson was never born.