Ever notice how greed makes people dumb? It's especially prevalent in corporations, and New York based energy conglomerate Con Ed has become the new poster child for stupid corporate greed through the announcement of its new Maine Power Link transmission project.
Prediction: Con Ed is going to positively bleed money trying to make this project work, but ultimately it's going to fail and end up with a huge amount of debt on its balance sheet.
Why? Because it comes on the heels of another speculative merchant transmission project "for renewables" that was soundly defeated by the people of Maine in an historic referendum last fall. Perhaps Con Ed has never heard of the phenomena of transmission siting fatigue? Conventional wisdom says that once a community is hit with an unwanted transmission project it develops a knowledge base and weapons arsenal that make siting subsequent transmission lines through the same community a non-starter. Fool the people once, shame on you... but you'll never fool the same people twice.
What was it about the New England Energy Connect that the people of Maine found so objectionable? Was it an emotional response to "not being heard?" The people of Maine were heard all right, it's just that project developer CMP didn't want to compromise. It's not about the emotional feel-good of being heard; it's about the feeling that you matter and that your ideas and opinions can change the outcome. CMP never budged from its transmission plan. That's perhaps what Mainers found so objectionable. That and the ruination of their environment for the benefit of others "from away."
So here's Con Ed, announcing an overhead 345-kV transmission line from northern to southern Maine. Con Ed says it will "follow" existing transmission corridors. This means it will be sited adjacent to existing corridors, widening them and doubling the visual blight. Con Ed also says it may need to cut some new greenfield corridors through undisturbed areas. And it plans to do all this in more populated eastern Maine.
Never going to happen.
Con Ed pretends it is "trusted." As if they say it enough, it will become true. Rural communities don't trust companies from other places, especially New York City. New York City has nothing in common with rural Maine, and it shows.
Prediction: Con Ed is going to positively bleed money trying to make this project work, but ultimately it's going to fail and end up with a huge amount of debt on its balance sheet.
Why? Because it comes on the heels of another speculative merchant transmission project "for renewables" that was soundly defeated by the people of Maine in an historic referendum last fall. Perhaps Con Ed has never heard of the phenomena of transmission siting fatigue? Conventional wisdom says that once a community is hit with an unwanted transmission project it develops a knowledge base and weapons arsenal that make siting subsequent transmission lines through the same community a non-starter. Fool the people once, shame on you... but you'll never fool the same people twice.
What was it about the New England Energy Connect that the people of Maine found so objectionable? Was it an emotional response to "not being heard?" The people of Maine were heard all right, it's just that project developer CMP didn't want to compromise. It's not about the emotional feel-good of being heard; it's about the feeling that you matter and that your ideas and opinions can change the outcome. CMP never budged from its transmission plan. That's perhaps what Mainers found so objectionable. That and the ruination of their environment for the benefit of others "from away."
So here's Con Ed, announcing an overhead 345-kV transmission line from northern to southern Maine. Con Ed says it will "follow" existing transmission corridors. This means it will be sited adjacent to existing corridors, widening them and doubling the visual blight. Con Ed also says it may need to cut some new greenfield corridors through undisturbed areas. And it plans to do all this in more populated eastern Maine.
Never going to happen.
Con Ed pretends it is "trusted." As if they say it enough, it will become true. Rural communities don't trust companies from other places, especially New York City. New York City has nothing in common with rural Maine, and it shows.
“The Maine Power Link team recognizes that its success or failure hinges on a robust, open and transparent siting process, engaging with stakeholders from Day 1, before any land is purchased or applications filed,” it said. “We view this as an essential step in our process to protect the environment and meet our energy goals.”
But Con Ed has not revealed any of its routes, even in general terms, to the ultimate stakeholders: the affected landowners and communities.
Nachmias declined to discuss the specific routes the company is considering or where it would enter the regional grid.
This is NOT transparent siting from Day 1. Con Ed has already proven itself to be a vascillating prevaricator. The specific route is going to be the thing that kills this project.
Con Ed is busy trying to buy off environmental and economic development organizations in Maine to support its project. It absolutely resembles the NECEC project the first time I saw it.... list of local organizations that supported along with glowing, but sadly ignorant, supporting comments. Con Ed is trying way, way, way too hard. And the dumbest thing yet is that the people of Maine aren't fooled by this garbage, especially the second time around. They've been there, done this. They're not going to buy it.
Con Ed would be much smarter to develop a transmission plan that did NOT visit impacts on Maine. What's that? A transmission line buried on existing rights of way, such as road or rail.
Instead, Con Ed is just acting like The Dumbest Transmission Developer Ever. It's going to be about as popular as new Coke, the Sony Betamax, and hoverboards.
Con Ed is busy trying to buy off environmental and economic development organizations in Maine to support its project. It absolutely resembles the NECEC project the first time I saw it.... list of local organizations that supported along with glowing, but sadly ignorant, supporting comments. Con Ed is trying way, way, way too hard. And the dumbest thing yet is that the people of Maine aren't fooled by this garbage, especially the second time around. They've been there, done this. They're not going to buy it.
Con Ed would be much smarter to develop a transmission plan that did NOT visit impacts on Maine. What's that? A transmission line buried on existing rights of way, such as road or rail.
Instead, Con Ed is just acting like The Dumbest Transmission Developer Ever. It's going to be about as popular as new Coke, the Sony Betamax, and hoverboards.
RSS Feed