Mainers made a deal with our electric utilities decades ago: we’ll give you an exclusive state-protected monopoly to provide us with electricity and earn a guaranteed profit; in return, you provide us with reliable, quality service at reasonable rates.

Our two remaining investor-owned utilities, Central Maine Power and Versant, stopped honoring their end of the bargain years ago. They only want the protected monopoly with the captive customers and guaranteed profit and nevermind about the quality service or reasonable rates.

These foreign-owned corporations are abusing their privileged position in order to enrich their shareholders and executives with our hard-earned money (CMP and Versant raked in over $180 million in profit last year). In return we get rock-bottom service and reliability.

Maine’s regulators and politicians have let CMP and Versant get away with this abuse, so it continues year after year. But Mainers don’t like being abused—especially by people from away—and that’s why Question 3 is on the ballot. We can replace CMP and Versant with our own local nonprofit utility and stop letting corporate profiteers gouge us. The profits now flowing out of Maine can be used instead to help reduce rates and/or invest in a better grid.

Don’t be fooled by the propaganda and misinformation CMP and Versant are spending millions on to fool and frighten us. It’s time to revoke their monopoly privilege. Vote yes on Question 3.

Ed Geis lives in Camden