Keep Hydropower From Destroying Sensitive Ecosystems

Target: Thron Dickinson, CEO and President of New England Clean Energy Connect

Goal: Broaden public discussions and re-evaluate current plans for hydropower lines through environmentally important lands.

Hydropower could provide an invaluable means of clean energy and serve as a fossil fuel alternative. The massive amount of money oil and gas special interests have poured into opposing such projects speaks to their promise. An endeavor in New England could help lead the way, but this plan must be executed properly, or it may in itself cause irreversible environmental damage.

The project, entitled New England Clean Energy Connect, would deliver power generated by water from Canada to regions throughout the North. Unfortunately, recent plans have put development of hydropower lines squarely through precious habitats like Maine’s North Woods.  The Kennebec Gorge, an ecological fixture of the area, would suffer especially significant damage. In part due to concerns about the environmental impacts, voters have rejected at least two proposed routes for the power lines. Conservationists have accused the project’s developers of failing to take public input into account.

Sign the petition below to urge a course-correction for this initiative so that it lives up to its billing as an environmental savior, not a destroyer.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Mr. Dickinson,

An estimated 70 percent of the world’s renewable electricity comes from hydropower. If utilized correctly, this energy source could play a pivotal role in meeting carbon emissions reduction goals. You see this potential, which led to the New England Energy Connect project. Unfortunately, bad decisions are dooming a promising project to failure.

Please bring all involved parties with a vested interest to the table, including conservationists, indigenous peoples, and the general public. Listen to their input and concerns. Then, together devise a new path forward that can lead to a better, cleaner future.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Quang Nguyen Vinh