Maine Energy Progress?

Submitted by whatsamain t3_11gpw3u in Maine

Who are they and why am I being bombarded with vaguely worded ads? Their "website" offers no source material or even any form of explanation, just large print words/phrases like "x billions of dollars in debt" and "power outages". The contact info is just their address and an email/newsletter signup, and I will not be signing myself up for possible spam.

Also, I cannot say I am against or for whatever it is they are trying to say. It is just these vague ads tend to throw up a lot of red flags to someone who has seen these exact tactics used in political ads, both locally and nationally.

Any answers and/or source material would be greatly appreciated!

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siebzy t1_japn1ji wrote

"Maine Energy Progress" is a dark money political spending org funded entirely by Central Maine Power's parent company.

They are opposing the "Pine Tree Power" referendum which would replace the foreign-owned utility company with a taxpayer-owned utility.

They are spending your money to lie to you.

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Sufficient-Squash428 t1_jasc396 wrote

" They are spending your money to lie to you."

That's why I have not paid their new bills in full. I send what I have budgeted for monthly electricity bill. It never went over that amount but always left change in account.

Now that the winter high bills for a 1 Bedroom Apt. went from $ 90 to $ 150 for their new AD campaign and since they're mad Voters said NO in Nov. to their thru-state Powerline, they can suck eggs.

I send $ 90 a month. No more than that. Let them rack up the remaining debt and that's when I file a Consumer Complaint to the AG.

Electricity will never go off because I'm paying. Just not the THEFT AMOUNT for their AD campaign & gouging.

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lantech t1_javr0ug wrote

Do you do the same thing when you pump gas?

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Sufficient-Squash428 t1_jaw5cbp wrote

Oil companies hit with backlash after bringing in $200 billion in profits last year

Oil companies bring in $200 billion in profits in 2022 (cnbc.com)

Nah, I just drive a lot less & spend a lot less at LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES.

Perverted Capitalism.

Price Gouging is not allowed in Pure Free Markets.

It F's everything up for the economy, unethical & illegal.

American Consumers coughed up $ 200,000,000,000 ..... to GREED.

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Earthling1a t1_jasedcq wrote

Hmm, what kind of government is it that's famous for taking over private business and making it state-run?

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Sufficient-Squash428 t1_jasqws8 wrote

It's a Utility, not a private business. See who built the Power Grid years ago. HINT: it wasn't private business.

All around the country, Electric Cooperatives have been doing just fine.

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Earthling1a t1_jassimu wrote

Private companies built the electric grid.

Government regulators got involved when power distribution started to cross state lines, but private enterprise built it.

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siebzy t1_jat99z9 wrote

Says someone who's never heard of the TVA or the Bureau of Reclamation.

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siebzy t1_jat93jg wrote

It's currently a state sanctioned monopoly. Neither CMP nor Versant (owned by the same foreign conglomerate) have any free market competition. Their profits are purely rent-seeking, rather than based on success in a competitive market.

Instead of sending that unearned profit to an overseas conglomerate, we could keep it in Maine - and return that profit to taxpayers in the form of lower rates and better service over time.

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FITM-K t1_jarr5zk wrote

Pro tip: if you see the words "Maine" "energy" "affordable" or similar in an ad, there's like a 99% chance it's CMP pretending to not be CMP.

Basically, if it's not Our Power/Pine Tree Power, it's almost certainly just CMP pretending to be some kind of grassroots org. I recently saw a bullshit ad where they dug up the "no line is safe to touch evah" guy to oppose Pine Tree Power. While pretending not to be CMP, of course. It's fucking gross.

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technosquirrelfarms t1_jaqzsdc wrote

This right here. Power to the people!

"They'll definitely spend more on opposing us than they did on the power line," said Blunt. He noted that while the company stood to make large profits from the transmission corridor, "what we're talking about with this policy is actually an existential threat to these investor-owned utilities."

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linuxdragons t1_jas5332 wrote

Good.

First Pine Tree Power, then revisit the standard offer procedure.

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siebzy t1_jatjymi wrote

Pine Tree Power would be able to use it's buying power on behalf of ratepayers and not foreign shareholders.

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