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I was disappointed to see Attorney General Aaron Frey sign a letter opposing the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA).
Mainers pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country, driven largely by our dependence on out-of-state fossil fuels, particularly natural gas. Lowering electricity costs and meeting our climate goals can go hand in hand. Maine has abundant, low-cost clean energy waiting to come online, but transmission and other infrastructure upgrades are needed to deliver it.
The New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) is now delivering clean Canadian hydropower to New England, displacing fossil fuel generation. Its completion should be a point of pride. Instead, years of lawsuits and political battles added more than $500 million to its cost — a burden that ultimately falls on ratepayers.
I believe BAAJA would help prevent such delays without weakening environmental protections. It establishes reasonable timelines for project reviews and legal challenges while preserving the authority of courts to send inadequate reviews back for correction. It also limits arbitrary permit revocations that have stalled offshore wind and other renewable energy projects.
The bill further ensures that data centers pay for the grid upgrades they require, rather than passing those costs to Maine families. Faster connections for clean energy will also help reduce the pollution warming the Gulf of Maine.
Maine has a proud tradition of putting results ahead of party politics. I hope Sen. Susan Collins makes BAAJA a priority before the end of her term and that Sen. Angus King supports it when the Senate considers the bill this month. I hope Attorney General Frey takes another look as well.
Mainers cannot afford another NECEC.
Don Parent
Cumberland