Groups promote ‘clean’ energy
10/22/09 | 10 comments
ENERGY

Groups promote ‘clean’ energy


By Nok-Noi Ricker
BDN Staff
BDNBANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY JOHN CLARKE RUSS
Emery Deabay (center), Maine U.S.W. secretary Local 1188, was one of the speakers during Wednesday's press conference in Bangor to urge U.S. Senators Snowe and Collins to pass strong clean energy legislation. Behind him are Dan Lawson (left, Maine Labor Council Trustee/U.S.W. Local 1188) and an unidentified participant. Buy Photo

BANGOR, Maine — Emery Deabay, secretary of the United Steelworkers of Maine Local 1188, said he was worried when he heard Congress was looking into clean energy and climate change legislation.

“When I first saw this bill it scared me — to be honest,” said the longtime Bucksport millworker.

However, Debay said Wednesday, after studying the American Clean Energy and Security Act, his attitude changed.

“It was kind of a no-brainer,” he said. “We need something to develop clean, renewable energy. If it’s done right, it’s going to be good for our country.”

The U.S. House of Representatives has endorsed the legislation, while the Senate is considering it.

His fellow union members voted on Wednesday at the Maine Labor Council-United Steelworkers of Maine conference, held at the Ramada Inn, to support a resolution calling for Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to endorse passage of the clean energy and climate change bill.

The Senate’s version is titled the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. The legislation would limit greenhouse gas emissions, create new emission permit rules, and provide incentives for the creation of renewable energy sources and “clean” energy jobs.

The bill, which is designed to reduce pollution and break the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, especially foreign oil, faces opposition from critics who say it will cause higher energy bills.

Deabay said the bill is a win-win for companies and employees, especially in Maine. He said it would provide time for companies, such as the Verso Mill in Bucksport where he works, to make changes that will improve environment impacts and, in turn, would provide clean energy jobs.

The legislation provides “a chance to transition over the next 15 years — a chance to change,” he said.

“It’s not just [for] our mills,” said Ron Hemmingway, an employee of NewPage mill in Rumford and USW Local 900. “It’s others [industries] in the state” that will benefit.

“We need an energy bill that makes sense for the state of Maine and the country,” he said. “We need this energy bill because it’s also a jobs bill.”

The legislation would go far to help the country’s struggling manufacturing sector, said Marie Bergen, of the Maine Sierra Club.

“Passage of the clean energy bill would create 1.7 million clean energy jobs and up to 10,000 jobs here in Maine,” she said.

In addition to supporting the creation of renewable energy sources — such as wind, tidal power and solar — the bill would also provide funding to train workers in these fields, which are growing by leaps and bounds here in Maine, said Andrew Kain, state director of Repower Maine.

“Maine is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this,” he said, adding that, “The point is to transfer from our dependence on fossil fuels, oil and coal, to renewable fuels.”

Repower Maine, which is leading a coalition of groups in Maine in support of climate-change legislation, is part of Repower America.

“A big part of this bill is also about energy efficiency,” Kain said, adding it could go a long way in helping Mainers who live in some of the oldest housing stock in the nation.

The creation of jobs is the biggest part of the proposed bill, Deabay said.

“It’s important for the county,” he said. “We need to rebuild the middle class.”

nricker@bangordailynews.net

990-8190

Not registered? Click here
E-mail this
Print this
Guidelines for posting on bangordailynews.com

Bangordailynews.com is pleased to offer a forum for readers to react to our stories, discuss them and provide additional information. We are reluctant to delete comments, but do reserve that right for those who abuse our forum. For more on using this site, please see our terms of service.

The primary rule here is pretty simple: Treat others with the same respect you'd want for yourself. What does that mean specifically? Here are some guidelines (see more):

Comments
10 comments on this item
On 10/21/09 at 11:41 PM, windmainer wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I for one would love to see these guys building the tower sections for those wind turbines, it would be good for the state and all around. AWEA (the wind industry trade association) recently rang the Nasdaq bell at closing, wind is picking up all over.

http://www.nasdaq.com/marketsite/marketsite-events-detail.aspx?fn=200910-close10142009.txt

Report abuse
On 10/22/09 at 5:55 AM, jaygee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Cap and trade will be resoundingly defeated - and rightfully so.

Report abuse
On 10/22/09 at 6:39 AM, jaygee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Predictions:

Obama will NOT bankrupt the coal industry in his avowed plan to drop America's standard of living vis a vis the rest of the world.

Watch the 2010 elections. It is going to be a massive rejection of liberal politics and all the nonsense that goes with them.

Here in Maine, where onshore, we have primarily "Class 1" wind resource (which is unsuitable for development), people will become increasingly aware that industrial wind is nothing but a scam from the elites and has no place in this strapped state.

Report abuse
On 10/22/09 at 8:14 AM, Steamship wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

And one nuclear power plant here in Maine would render it all a moot point.

Report abuse
On 10/22/09 at 8:30 AM, MayorMcheesy wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It would take more then one nuclear plant...but I agree we need more of them all over the country...the technology has grown leaps and bounds since Maine Yankee was built....I for one am hoping that nuclear is part of this bill that WILL pass and be signed into law....if you think otherwise the. You are delusional and are drinking the koolaid from the oil/coal lobbies and repeating what the uneducated tell you to say on the rightwing radio. This is good for Maine and good for America

Report abuse
On 10/22/09 at 11:39 AM, foulwind1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Giving subsidies to Maine people for weatherization makes total sense. Industrial wind makes no sense. It supports the "Power Elite" of Maine. The Financial milking of the average citizen in Maine, for new transmission line, for power exportation out of Maine, to support IBedrola.We pay the powerline costs for Blowtoy power you see. That is the plan.. Every month, you will pay and pay, and King et. al. , Gardiner, others, will laugh and laugh and laugh, all the way to their next merger and financial scheme, in the name of GREEN ENERGY.It is Green all right, your Greenback! , from

Your pocket , to Theirs, with a Smile on their face.

The "Taking of Land in Maine", to support the power elite’s BLOWTOY fad energy scam, makes no sense. Giving Ex-governor King, et.al., his next energy scam for his next cricket match makes no sense. Giving Firstwind its next government Grant for wealthy investors makes no sense.

Giving a low income Maine resident insulation for his old home, makes sense. Making Mainers, some of the most highly taxed people in the country, poorer, with higher energy bills caused by BIG WIND is a scandel in the making.We should have power to Mainers at reduced costs .We should not be paying more , as we will be ,because of the Perverting our legal processes in Maine, expediting laws for the "Power Elite" to enable their Blowtoy scam. That is what is being done. Wind Turbines never replace CO2 , anywhere. They do make some millionaires more millions though. It is not about GREEN in Maine, IT IS about GREED.

Report abuse
On 10/22/09 at 1:55 PM, windfuture wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

jaygee - nobody is erecting commercial wind turbines in Maine where Class 1 wind is present. It doesn't happen. Mars Hill is Class 3 and above in spots. Stetson is the same. Kibby is Class 3 and higher where the turbines are being placed. If you don't have facts, stop spreading lies.\

Foulwind1 - the people who buy the energy from the wind turbines pay the cost of the installation, the transmission upgrades, and everything else associated with them. If you don't want to buy wind power, that's your choice. CMP (and Iberdrola) charge wind generators for network upgrades required to support the energy transmission into the market. Wind power is usually sold in a wholesale transaction to a buyer, who signs a long-term contract at an agreed price. This price has to cover all costs, or the project can't be financed, and won't be built. Stop spreading stories you can't back up. Wind energy creates jobs, during construction and during operations for many years after a project is built. Landowners receive land payments for the life of a project. Property taxes are most often used within the host community for a variety of economic development activities. If a town doesn't want it, there will be no tax break.

Unless additional clean generation is built (and I favor a mix of wind, nuclear, and hydro, as well as clean imports to support short-term demand), prices for electricity will only continue to rise. You can look up the forward curve (price projections) of electricity online. It is a farce to conclude that the status quo will result in cheaper prices long-term. Maine has some of the highest energy prices (and other costs of doing business) in the country, and THAT is why we can't get a keep long-term jobs in this State. Our population is aging, and our young people are looking elsewhere for careers. Wouldn't it be nice to have all of you backwoods idiots who can't see beyond the nose their faces shut up for a change and embrace something new? Otherwise, this state will continue to decline.

Report abuse
On 10/22/09 at 3:18 PM, Patten_Pete wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

windfuture - when you pimp wind, do you wear one of those big pimp hats? Tell the BIG LIE. Over and over.

Report abuse
On 10/22/09 at 5:49 PM, Ladyslipper wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

l am automatically suspicious of anything supported and promoted by the Sierra Club.

Report abuse
On 10/23/09 at 6:12 AM, noreasternelly wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

exactly, wind and solar can turn this country around, lets see maine lead the way!!!

Report abuse
You must be logged in to post a comment. click here to log in.

Powered by: Creative Circle Advertising Solutions, Inc.