Ngo-September 18, abasekeli bashintsha i-ejensi yamandla omphakathi inkampani yamandla ephethwe abatshalizimali baseMaine futhi benza isicelo eHhovisi likaNobhala Wezwe.
Abasekeli bakhe bathenge izinkampani zikagesi eziphethwe abatshalizimali ababili eMaine base befaka izinkampani zikahulumeni esikhundleni sabo, futhi sebeqalile ukusebenza kanzima ukuletha lolu daba kubavoti ngonyaka ozayo.
Abasekeli bama-ejensi okuphatha amandla aphethwe ngabathengi benze isicelo kuNobhala Wezwe ngoSepthemba 18. Okuqukethwe yilokhu:
“Ingabe uyafuna ukwakha inhlangano engenzi nzuzo, ephethwe ngabathengi ebizwa ngokuthi i-Maine Power Delivery Authority ukuze ingene esikhundleni sezinsiza ezimbili eziphethwe abatshalizimali ezibizwa ngeCentral Maine Power and Versant (Power), futhi Igadwe ibhodi labaqondisi? Ingabe ikhethwa ngabavoti baseMaine futhi kufanele igxile ekwehliseni amanani enzalo, ukuthuthukisa ukwethembeka kanye nezinjongo zesimo sezulu saseMaine?”
UNobhala Wombuso kufanele anqume ukusebenzisa lolu limi ngaphambi komhla ziyisi-9 kuMfumfu. ​​Uma kugunyazwe ngendlela ekulo, abameli bangaqala ukusabalalisa izicelo kanye nokuqoqa amasignesha.
Ngenxa yamaphutha ahlukahlukene e-CMP (okuhlanganisa ukuphathwa kabi kokukhokha kanye nokubambezeleka kokubuyiselwa kwamandla ngemva kweziphepho), isiyaluyalu sabakhokhi bentela sifake amandla amasha emzamweni wokusungula inkampani ephethwe nguhulumeni kagesi.
Ebusika obudlule, isishayamthetho sethule umthethosivivinywa oklanyelwe ukubeka isisekelo sokushintshela eziphathimandleni. Nokho, lesi sinyathelo sihlehliswe umxhasi waso oyinhloko, u-Rep. Seth Berry (D. Bowdoinham), ukuze enze ucwaningo ngoJulayi ukuze azuze ukugunyazwa koMkhandlu Wezomthetho. Ngaphandle kokuthi abenzi bomthetho baphinde bahlangane ngaphambi kokuphela konyaka, umthethosivivinywa uzofa futhi uzodinga ukuthi uphasiswe ngo-2021.
Omunye wabasayine isicelo sereferendamu kwakunguJohn Brautigam, owayeyilungu lekhongolose nomsizi wommeli-jikelele. Manje useyinhloko yoMnyango kagesi waseMaine wabantu baseMaine, inhlangano ekhuthaza abantu baseMaine ukukhuthaza ubunikazi babathengi.
"Singena enkathini yokufakwa kukagesi okuzuzisayo, okuzoletha izinzuzo ezinkulu esimweni sezulu, ukuqashwa kanye nomnotho wethu," kusho isitatimende sikaBrautigam ngoLwesibili. “Manje, sidinga ukuba nengxoxo yokuthi singaxhasa kanjani ngezimali futhi silawule ukunwetshwa kwegridi okuzayo. Inkampani yabathengi ihlinzeka ngezimali ezishibhile, yonga izigidi zezigidi zamaRandi futhi yenza i-Mainers ibe amandla amakhulu.”
Amandla omthengi akuwona umqondo omusha e-United States. Cishe kunamadlelandawonye angenzi nzuzo angaba ngu-900 asebenzela ingxenye yezwe. E-Maine, izinkampani ezincane eziphethwe ngabathengi zifaka i-Kennebunks Lighting and Power District, iMadison Power Company, neHorton Water Company.
Iziphathimandla eziphethwe ngabathengi azisetshenziswa izinhlangano zikahulumeni. Lezi zinkampani ziqoke noma zikhethe amabhodi abaqondisi futhi aphethwe ngochwepheshe. Abameli bakaBerry namandla omthengi babone ngeso lengqondo i-ejensi ebizwa ngokuthi i-Maine Power Transmission Board ezosebenzisa amabhondi anesivuno esincane ukuze ithenge ingqalasizinda ye-CMP ne-Versant, okuhlanganisa izigxobo zezinsiza, izintambo, neziteshi ezincane. Isamba senani lezinkampani ezimbili ezisetshenziswayo lilinganiselwa ku-US$4.5 billion.
Usihlalo omkhulu we-CMP uDavid Flanagan uthe ucwaningo lwamakhasimende lukhombisa ukuthi abantu abaningi bangabaza kakhulu izinkampani ezisetshenziswa uhulumeni. Uthe unethemba lokuthi lesi sinyathelo sizohlulwa ngabavoti “noma ngabe kukhona abasayine ngokwanele” ukuvota.
UFlanagan uthe: “Kungenzeka asiphelele, kodwa abantu bayangabaza ukuthi uhulumeni angenza kangcono.”