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Energy Justice & CMP Corridor Opposition

MYCJ's Statement in Opposition to the CMP Corridor 

"We, the members of Maine Youth for Climate Justice (MYCJ), stand firmly in opposition to the Central Maine Power (CMP) Corridor and New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project. MYCJ is a coalition of over 300 youth and 20 youth organizations from across Maine who are fighting for bold climate action, a just transition, and a livable future. Acknowledging that the climate crisis is rooted in systemic forms of oppression, and disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, MYCJ aims to center the voices of folks who have been historically excluded from political conversations and narratives around climate activism. We fight to ensure that our communities, environment, and climate are protected for future generations. We stand in opposition to energy projects that do not reflect a holistic understanding of a clean energy transition and do not center justice as a critical principle. The CMP Corridor is not a climate justice solution and it will not help us attain the clean energy future we imagine and deserve. 

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As youth, we deserve to have a voice in the future of our planet. Concerned about the climate and environmental justice implications of this project, last year we sent a letter to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, stating that an environmental impact statement had not been properly conducted. We have written letters, submitted testimony in support of bills that would stop this project, and have worked to educate others in the region about the Corridor and the detrimental impacts of hydropower. Recently, MYCJ testified at the DEP hearing to request the DEP revoke the license CMP holds to construct part of the Corridor on Maine’s public land. What we need now is increased transparency and public input to give Mainers the chance to express their opposition to this project to our leaders and lawmakers. Mainers will soon have the opportunity to once again weigh in on this issue, this time at the ballot box. We call on Maine voters to vote yes on question 1 to reject the CMP Corridor. 

 

With local and just solutions on the horizon, we are hopeful for our collective future. We are calling upon our leaders, lawmakers, and adult allies to heed our concerns and take the necessary steps to stop this project and future projects like this one. Maine has great potential for local power generation and needs to transition to clean and just energy sources that benefit local communities right now. We must reframe the way we think about and understand renewable energy by assessing new projects with an equity and justice lens and thinking about long term impacts. We hope you will join us in this fight." 

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Read our full statement here. 

Watch MYCJ Organizer, Audrey Hufnagel, Speak on NRCM's Vote Yes on 1 to Stop the CMP Corridor

Recording, Resources, and Calls to Action from Stop New England’s Greenwashing of Mega Dam Hydropower  

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Did you know that part of Massachusetts’ renewable energy contracts include electricity generated from Canadian hydropower? This energy, sourced from megadams that violate indigenous rights, destroy ecosystems, and release greenhouse gases, would be brought from Quebec through a transmission corridor running through Maine, that would cut through hundreds of miles of carbon-capturing forests and the ancestral territories of indigenous communities.

This corridor, commonly known as the CMP corridor or New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC), is not a climate justice solution and hydropower is not the clean energy that it has been marketed as. Learn more about this regional and international issue, and what you can do as New England residents to take action and stand up for climate justice by watching a recording of this educational event here!

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Speakers include:

 

Melissa Harding Ferretti is a member of the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe and its elected Chairwoman and President. She works to preserve the Tribe’s cultural heritage and land rights. She is also the President of the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project and serves on many local and state boards and organizations.

 

Lokotah Sanborn is a Penobscot artist and advocate dedicated to Indigenous liberation and empowerment. He is a member of Sunlight Media Collective, an organization working to document and produce stories affecting Wabanaki people and the intersections of environmental issues and tribal rights. Lokotah has a background in political organizing and community building. He is a member of Racial Equity and Justice, and Needlepoint Sanctuary. He is also a founding member of Bomazeen Land Trust, a Wabanaki led 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to rematriation, food sovereignty and Wabanaki cultural transmission.

 

Voices featured in the video from hydro impacted communities:

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  • John Gonzalez - Author/Filmaker - Taìno/Pimicikamak

  • Jessica Wastesicoot - Pimicikamak

  • Chief Kirk E. Francis - Penobscot Nation

  • Carlton Richards - Pimicikamak

  • Raymond Collins Robinson - Pimicikamak

  • Thomas Monias - Pimicikamak

  • Rita Monias - Pimicikamak

  • Melissa (Harding) Ferretti - Chairlady/President Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe

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