A historic referendum asked voters in Maine if they wanted to replace their privately owned utilities with a publicly owned one.

The measure, called Question 3, prompted heated debate in the months leading up to the election. Central Maine Power and Versant Power, the state’s dominant utilities, poured more than $40 million into a campaign opposing the referendum, outspending Pine Tree Power advocates 34 to 1. Political groups funded by the utilities and their parent companies mailed flyers and aired ads on TV, radio, and social media, urging Mainers to reject the measure, which would have effectively put the two companies out of business.

  • ArsenLupin [comrade/them, he/him]English
    66•2 years ago

    And that’s while living literally one step away from one of the best state own power utility in the OECD, providing the cheapest electricity of the “western” world. Americans are a lost cause. 🤦

      • ArsenLupin [comrade/them, he/him]English
        47•2 years ago

        Hydro Québec. Don’t get me wrong, they aren’t perfect. But they are way ahead of basically everyone else. 0.065CAD/kWh, while still bringing in billions in revenue to the state every year.

        • meatballs12345 [he/him,they/them]English
          25•2 years ago

          Part of the reason it’s so cheap is because they sell a lot of power to the US NW, in addition to contracts providing reserve power through reverse-pumping the dams.

            • @Dudewitbow@lemmy.zipEnglish
              14•2 years ago

              Regions who have a good source of hydro power usually the most flexibility to change up systems relating to electricity.

              Its why for example Norway is capable to flip to EVs so quickly (in 2022, 80%+ vehicles sold were EVs). 95% of Norway’s electricity is hydro power.

        • ChapoKrautHaus [none/use name]English
          17•2 years ago

          But they are way ahead of basically everyone else. 0.065CAD/kWh

          Lol I have to pay 0.37€ per kWh, literally two orders of magnitude higher.

          • BountifulEggnog [she/her]English
            15•2 years ago

            I think your math is wrong. .37 / .065 is 5~. A pound is worth around 1.7 cad. So you’re paying around 9x the price with currency conversion, or a bit less then an order of magnitude. Two orders of magnitude would be 100 times the price.