ZNet (unofficial)Nov 25, 2023

#Maine’s referendum on establishing a state-managed public utility system, known as "Question Three," was defeated with 70% against.

Opposition, including labor unions, exaggerated costs and misrepresented #PineTreePower as a state agency. With opponents spending significantly more on media and propaganda, the #referendum was defeated.

Supporters plan to continue advocating for community-owned utilities, considering collaboration with labor unions in future efforts.

https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/referendum-on-state-owned-utility-defeated-in-maine-the-struggle-continues/

Referendum on State-Owned Utility Defeated in Maine. The Struggle Continues.

Election day in November, 2023, was a disappointment for advocates of state-owned, community and nonprofit public utilities. The referendum on

ZNetwork
Doug GrinbergsNov 8, 2023

Disappointed that
a) Maine #PineTreePower municipalization failing 😕
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/07/us/elections/results-maine-question-3-create-pine-tree-power-co.html

b) Cincinnati voting to sell only municipally owned railroad in the country, Cincinnati Southern Railway, to (East Palestine villain!) Norfolk Southern😡

OTOH, Ohio voted for abortion - whew! - and weed

Maine Question 3 Election Results 2023: Create a Publicly Owned Utility Company

See full results and maps from the 2023 Maine elections.

The New York Times
Show threadDoug GrinbergsNov 6, 2023
@mainedsa Thanks for sharing!👍 (New since I last checked.) IMHO, #PineTreePower draft appears to have credible and fair - not slanted - references, but twice declined.😕😡 I've squirreled away some other points and references from TV news YouTube segments, Ballotpedia, others. Would have been nice to have a working article in place weeks, if not months, before the election.😕(I am too often discouraged by seemingly gratuitous contrarianism, disrespect of my contributions in Wikipedia anarchy.😕)
Maine DSANov 4, 2023
A YES ON QUESTION THREE for #PineTreePower means putting our power delivery into #democratic control and taking it away from greedy, investor owned, multinational #corporations.
We can achieve better service, better rates, and a mandate to help meet Maine’s #climate goals by switching to Pine Tree Power!
🌲⚡❤️
Show threadDoug GrinbergsSep 29, 2023
@mainedsa Surprised Pine Tree Power #PineTreePower movement drama doesn't have Wikipedia article. Should at least be mentioned on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalization
Ballotpedia article: https://ballotpedia.org/Maine_Question_3,_Pine_Tree_Power_Company_Initiative_(2023)
Municipalization - Wikipedia

Maine DSASep 8, 2023
So proud of every Maine DSA member and all others who did the hard, arduous work of #canvassing for months to gather 80,000 signatures, more than enough to qualify for the ballot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aELimf6ct60
#PineTreePower #Nationalize #democraticsocialist #dsa #centralmainepower
Maine's Radical Solution to the Energy Crisis

YouTube
Show threadDoug GrinbergsSep 6, 2023
#PineTreePower #OurPower campaign toot from earlier this year
https://mastodon.energy/@ourpower/109744525954692407
Our Power (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image Who controls Maine's grid? With CMP it's investors in Spanish conglomerate Iberdrola (including Qatar & Norway) and with Versant the city of Calgary, Canada. Maine customers have no say. With #PineTreePower customers here in Maine would be in control. #MEPolitics #Energy

mastodon.energy
Doug GrinbergsSep 6, 2023

#Maine citizens have a years-long campaign to municipalize their two big (and generally lousy, disliked) investor-owned utilities (#IOUs), #CentralMainePower #CMP and #Versant, buying them out to form new #publicpower #MuniPower company #PineTreePower

Among arguments for the Nov. ballot measure, "CMP & Versant's owners in Norway, Qatar, Calgary should not be in control of our energy future" https://pinetreepower.org/

Ballotpedia: Maine Question 3, Pine Tree Power Company
https://ballotpedia.org/Maine_Question_3,_Pine_Tree_Power_Company_Initiative_(2023)

Home - Pine Tree Power

Vote “YES” for Pine Tree Power on Nov. 7! What is Pine Tree Power? This November, voters will be asked, “Do you want to create a new power company governed by an elected board to acquire and operate existing for-profit electricity transmission and distribution facilities in Maine?” Yes we do! When we win in November, we’ll...

Pine Tree Power
TechnodadAug 31, 2023
The American Prospect on the case for public utility ownership - mentions #PineTreePower initiative in #Maine : https://prospect.org/environment/2023-08-30-private-monopolies-fuel-climate-disaster-public-corruption/
How Private Monopolies Fuel Climate Disaster and Public Corruption

Investor-owned utilities have been at the forefront of numerous political scandals and ecological disasters. There is an alternative.

The American Prospect
Gladwyn d’SouzaAug 24, 2023

https://open.substack.com/pub/rssg7c7gxlbkmwwwdailypostercom/p/64e791f5fba4d50001695406-3d8b7a3e?r=11rw36&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post

#pinetreepower: a #ballotinitiative to create a #nonprofit #power company that would buy and operate the #utilities’ #transmission lines and facilities.
Supporters say it’s the most important #climate election in the United States this year.

#NationalizeFossilFuels

The Campaign To Keep Electric Bills High

As voters in Maine decide whether to buy the state’s electric utilities, Democratic consultants rake in corporate cash while residents face shut-offs.

The Lever