Those people who suffered long electricity outages during the recent April snowstorm need only to look at their local legislators and ask them why. As a retired utility manager I have asked the Public Utilities Commission for Maine exactly that question. The answer I got came as a surprise.
Spokespeople for the PUC have told me on several occasions recently that the commission no longer has the authority over Maine’s utilities that it once did to force them into action to help the consumer. It seems that recent Legislatures have listened to the utility lobbyists rather than we, the consumers, and have neutered the PUC’s once-feared authority.
The next question is why, then, do we pay for a PUC? That is a very good question and asking legislators that question brings very evasive answers. Why, then, are we funding a government agency created to protect the consumer that is no longer doing so?
The simplest answer as to why the huge power outage? The utilities have saved large sums of money by ignoring the tree trimming needed to protect the power supply. Why were they allowed to do so? The Legislature removed the authority that the PUC used to have. The public needs to see that it is given back or the PUC disbanded. It is that simple.
George Fogg, North Yarmouth
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