AUGUSTA, Maine — The governor’s energy legislation package has generated significant debate and plenty of opposition during public hearings this week, setting up what could be yet another partisan battle in the coming weeks.
Even before public hearings were held Wednesday and Thursday on two energy-related bills offered by Gov. Paul LePage, House and Senate Democrats criticized the proposals as sweeping changes that “undercut energy efficiency and renewable energy.”
Although the governor has talked for months about his desire to introduce legislation that would reduce energy costs, it wasn’t until late last week that he unveiled his plan.
One proposal, LD 1864, would give the governor more control over the Efficiency Maine Trust, which provides a variety of programs to homeowners and businesses designed to save money.
Currently, that quasi-state agency is overseen by an independent nonpolitical board, but one of the governor’s bills would allow him to select the board chair.
The bill also includes language that creates new programs within Efficiency Maine: a rebate program for the purchase of efficient home heating systems and creating new programs to encourage homeowners to invest in efficient electric heating systems at the expense of other initiatives.
Kenneth Fletcher, Maine’s director of energy independence, testified in favor of the bill.
“We need to empower Maine people with other options. Because I don’t know what the prices of oil will be next week, next winter, or five years from now,” he said Wednesday. “But I am certainly not going to just expect that the problem is going to solve itself.”
Some said the legislation is little more than a power grab that undercuts the agency.
“It’s clear that this bill will make the trust more political,” said Rep. Mark Dion, D-Portland, who serves on the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee. “The best interests of Maine’s energy customers are served when Efficiency Maine is nonpolitical.”
Michael Stoddard, director of Efficiency Maine, said the creation of any new programs within Efficiency Maine would need to be funded with existing resources. That would mean taking money out of programs already in place, including weatherization.
Last year, Efficiency Maine completed thousands of weatherization projects, saving homeowners 30-40 percent or more in annual energy bills.
Stoddard said he wasn’t involved in the discussion over the governor’s energy legislation, but he wasn’t surprised by that.
Another bill proposed by the governor, LD 1863, would allow certain power generators, specifically large-scale hydro-power producers, to qualify for the state’s renewable energy portfolio. The governor’s office said this would bring down costs.
Others had a different take.
“The governor’s hydro proposal would take money from Maine people and hand it to a government-owned company in another country,” said Rep. Jon Hinck of Portland, the lead House Democrat on the Energy Committee. “This would do nothing to lower Maine energy prices but would certainly benefit Hydro Quebec.”
There is no restriction on Hydro Quebec or any other entity selling power in Maine but, at the moment, it cannot be counted in state’s renewable energy portfolio. Whether the bill decreases cost is unclear because Hydro Quebec can set its price.
Sen. Michael Thibodeau, R-Winterport, who sponsored both LD 1863 and 1864, said more oversight of Efficiency Maine is good and he doesn’t think anyone can oppose the concept of reducing energy costs.
There appeared to be much more support of the hydro energy bill than the Efficiency Maine bill. Chris O’Neill, representing the anti-wind group Friend of Maine’s Mountains, applauded the governor for making cost a priority.
“If we’re going to add more renewable power, let’s get the good stuff,” he said.
Public hearings also were held Thursday on two other energy-related pieces of legislation that originated from the governor’s office.
LD 1872 would change the name of the Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security to the Governor’s Energy Office.
LD 1875 seeks to provide pricing transparency to electricity ratepayers to show the total financial effect to ratepayers from electricity supply, transmission and delivery and state and federal government assessments. It also would require the Public Utilities Commission and the Public Advocate to submit their budget recommendations as part of the unified current services budget legislation using a zero-based budgeting process.
All of the governor’s energy bills were supposed to be voted out of committee by the end of this week but debate likely will continue into next week.
Some are upset by the delay.
“The governor said it was a top priority last summer to introduce an energy bill,” said Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx, D-Brunswick, who serves on the Energy Committee. “Now as the legislative session is in the last month, he is trying to recklessly upend good energy policy with almost no notice for a public hearing? The people deserve more time to find out if they will be one of the winners or losers under the plan.”
Keep up the good work Governor Lepage.
We Mainers can’t afford these pie in the sky “renewable mandates” such as ineffecient wind.
Angus King must not get Susan’s senate seat. King is pure poison for Maine.
Hmmm… Just wondering if, maybe, Marden’s might have some cheaper electrical power…
Snowe and Collins Vote Down Welfare Checks for Wind Industry
http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/wind-industry-s-production-tax-credit-soundly-defeated
Viva LePage!
Angus King must not get Susan’s senate seat. King is pure poison for Maine.
Don’t ever trust the political opinions of spammers.
I agree. That Angus is a liar is beyond question. He must not represent Maine in the senate.
Find me a politician who is NOT a liar and I’ll buy you dinner.
making homes more energy efficient is good..having so called renewables like wind in Maine that are for so many reasons wrong is NOt the way to go..good for you Mr LePage..and those in favor of wind often have private vested interests in wind..let a spade be called a spade!
Ya, I won’t to pay as much as they can gouge me for oil and electricity. We don’t need no stinkin clean energy or cheap energy, we like that sooty stuff.
Wind Power is a scam that has been a rip off for Maine Taxpayers. I knew Rep. Jon Hinck would come out against it considering Hinck and his wife lobbyist and lawyer Juliet Browne has been living off huge subsidies from Wind Power projects. Liberals are against having Hydro and cheap Canadian Power from Hydro Quebec and New Brunswick Power. They would rather ram their stupid renewable nonsense onto us. They want us to pay higher rates , give huge subsidies to the Hinck’s, Angus King’s, Kurt Adams’ of the world so can go away rich like bandits while the rest of us see our electric bills skyrocket. Just say no to Renewables, Say No to Obama’s subsidies to Clean Energy and start fighting back for cheaper alternatives like Hydro power and power from Canada.
Maybe you could find a cave to live in, we can use The WayBackMachine and live like they want us to, peasants. Get with the times, the National Grid is a mess and only a matter of time before it fails like all the other OLD technology. Look up what UNH has done, they heat the university with methane gas from the dump, might be a good idea for that mess on 95, oldcat.
Angus King must not get Susan’s senate seat. King is pure poison for Maine.
So is Newt’s $2.50 gasoline real, IYO ?
Angus King must not get Susan’s senate seat. King is pure poison for Maine.
End the Wind Subsidy Scam in Maine!
Wind companies are net
tax beneficiaries who wish to defeat Lepage’s energy plan..
Taxpayers would save billions of dollars if wind produced no energy at
all.
A July 2011 Energy Department study found that oil, natural gas and
coal received an average of 64 cents of subsidy per megawatt hour in
2010.
Wind power received nearly 100 times more, or $56.29 per megawatt
hour.”
The wind industry is comprised of liars and deceivers, and is a
useless waste of taxpayer dollars.
Our respected US Senators of Maine also agree!
“The wind industry is comprised of liars and deceivers.” The other observation I would like to offer is that pro-wind folks are always liberals and democrats.
Angus King must not get Susan’s senate seat. King is pure poison for Maine.
Competition in the energy arena is a good thing. Fair is fair. If industrial wind facilities are being classified as “green renewables”, then certainly hydro power must also be classified as a green renewable. Both are environmentally destructive, (and industrial wind is in violation of federal law, given its high impact on raptors, migratory birds and bats) but at least hydro provides real base load power to the grid. Maine doesn’t need this additional power, but southern New England does, and if Hydro Quebec and Nalcor start duking it out to sign up new customers to their south, which is bound to happen with the second dam being constructed on the Churchill River in Labrador, this will only make for a more competitive electrons flowing through the grid. Lowering energy prices to the consumer is a good thing. The argument that we shouldn’t be doing business with Canada is foolish, given that the biggest wind developers and turbine suppliers in this country are from foreign countries. Maine’s economy is dependent on tourism, which provides 170,000 full time jobs and ten billion dollars annually to this state. Let’s keep Maine beautiful.
Angus King must not get Susan’s senate seat. King is pure poison for Maine.
Time to revive the Dickey-Lincoln hydro project! Hydro produces power all of the time, not just when the wind is blowing. The impoundment would create a beautiful lake full of trophy sized muskie! Sounds like win-win to me.
I’ve always loved the idea of Dickey-Lincoln hydro. Any hydro for that matter !
Shouldn’t of mentioned the muskie, that’s a whole different can of worms right there.
We dont need no Stink’n Foriegn Species in Maine!
I wonder who is giving our Governor these ideas?
you mean wanting cheaper electric rate for all Mainers??? Maybe Our Great Governor Paul LePage is the only politican in this State thats not on the Take..and we have someone that care about Maine People in general.
You may wish to read this:
http://www.windtaskforce.org/photo/abstain-for-maine?context=latest
Many of us do not trust Paul LePage and can hardly wait for an election.
Blah, blah, blah ….you’re still spreading your hate LePage baloney. How about contributing something positive once in a while.
The biggest criminal to hold that office was Baldacci.
With Ainus King running a close second.
His expression has that “Gas Build Up” look…
Wake up folks neither the republicans nor the democrats are telling us the whole truth and nothing but the truth on this issue. Both groups are pandering to what they think we the voter wants to hear most.
Presently Mr LePage and crew are promoting Hydro Quebec and other hydro sources as our saviors. Hydro Quebec ( a company that enjoys substantial subsidies from the Canadian Govt) presently supplies a substantial portion of our electric needs for while charging much more to US Electric companies than the electric companies in Canada. Which means your electric bills are supporting homes and businesses in Canada.
In recent years Emera ( a Canadian Corporation ) purchased Bangor Hydro and Maine Public Service. Their primary goal ? To construct a connection ( presently under construction ) to the New England Power Grid. Why? Because they can sell their power for more in southern New England than they can get in Canada and/or Maine. So if you think they are going to lower your electric costs dream on.
The wind farm in Mars Hill in Aroostook County generates more than enough power to supply Aroostook County. Yet not one kilowatt is sold in the County. It is wheeled into Canada and beyond where it can generate more profit.
Hyro power in Maine if it can be developed would be years in coming. Our new savior ? Not hardly. We can save more sooner through conservation.
Wind power being developed in Maine? Great employer probably not our power savior. Willing to bet most of that power is being sent to the grid where it can provide more profit.
Any source of generation developed in Maine wether it be hydro, wind, natural gas or nuclear is most likely to be sold out of the state of Maine where demand and profit is higher.
Can we benefit from the development ? Sure in the creation of jobs and tax base but the chance of lowering our eletric bills is minimal. The demand and willingness to pay more is outside of our borders.
Any promises given by democrats or republicans to lower electric costs are pretty hollow.
If you think that the Mars Hill wind power project “generates more than enough power to supply Aroostook County”, you don’t understand the data. That is utterly preposterous! Here’s what I would like to see: unplug Aroostook County from the grid with the exception of the Mars Hill project and it’s 28% capacity factor. Enjoy your life with that unpredictable, unreliable, fickle trickle of power!
Here’s the real deal for Maine Public Service customers, Mr. CountyBorn: The Standard Offer for your electricity supply (except for large commercial users that are supplied by Algonquin) comes from New Brunswick Power. Extracted from their website, here is the breakdown:
Grand Total of 3,043 MW total out put
Nuclear: 21%; Petroleum: 47%; Hydro: 18%; Coal: 14%; Wind: 3%; Mars Hill: .4%
Just in case you missed it, that is 4 tenths of one percent from Mars Hill.
You certainly used a lot of words to say that public service services the public in the same manner that a bull services a cow !
Stop the billions in tax payer subsidies to the Wind Industry! Now!
Mainers have already wasted billions in higher utility rates for these inefficient tax payer subsidized environment destroying massive 500 foot tall wind farms on forested ridges all over the State of Maine.
Why would we want to keep doing the same stupid things?
Mainers are too smart to keep falling for the same old tricks from First Wind.
“The governor’s hydro proposal would take money from Maine people and hand it to a government-owned company in another country,” said Rep. Jon Hinck of Portland, the lead House Democrat on the Energy Committee. “This would do nothing to lower Maine energy prices but would certainly benefit Hydro Quebec.”
Wow, and this is coming from the biggest wind power supporter in Maine’s entire political system. How about wind power Jon? Where are those profits going (other than in your wife’s bank account)? Let’s see, First Wind (Boston), the largest developer in Maine (who by all accounts is one step from the bankruptcy courts), is in the process of trying to convince the PUC to allow them to sell 49% of the company to Emera, a Canadian energy company who on their homepage describes themselves as, “a strategic energy services and infrastructure that includes electric utilities in the Northeastern US, Atlantic Canada, St. Lucia, Grand Bahama and Barbados” … so how is that so different from what he’s accusing the Governor’s plan of doing? Won’t their profits be going to Canada Jon? By the way, Jon’s wife Juliet Browne head’s up the legal team trying to get the PUC to approve this “merger” as well as being First Wind’s primary legal counsel on most all of their wind projects in Maine.
Or how about the next largest wind power developer in the state. They are a Spanish company that is actually owned by a middle east energy superpower. I guess somehow in your mind that is keeping Mainers’ money in Maine???
So, Jon, you’re the epitomy of the kettle calling the pot black! Do the citizens of Maine a favor and keep your thoughts to yourself. If you are going to be the mouthpiece of the wind power industry, sooner or later some reporter will finally grow the cajones to do a thorough investigative report of your ties to the wind industry and the conflict of interests that you continue to ignore month after month.
Folks – the most important part of a dollar spent on a good or service is where the profit portion finally lands. In the case of most power generated or sold in this State those profits not only leave the state, they leave the country. To offset this, the State needs its own businesses that trade outside it’s borders so that the profits land here. Look around – how many businesses actually keep the profits here in the State? How many of those outfits do you do business with?
It is the profit $ that have the biggest impact on an economy – this spurs positive development, innovation, and indirectly – competition.
Usually when someone tells you its all about creating jobs, it comes from someone who cant even balance their checkbook or understand the basics of accounting and finance. Unless the jobs and profits are aligned and kept in the same region, that region will experience a slow but steady drain of $. Sure the jobs are good, but without the profits sticking around, it is like leaving a couple of windows open during the winter.
So for every First Wind, Emera, Hydro-Quebec, Exxon Mobil, Wal-Mart, Appleby’s, etc, who operate in this state and/or you do business with – keep in mind those profit $ are going somewhere else. What do we have for homegrown, locally owned businesses that can offset that flow of $ out of this state?
This is not to say that all outside interests are a bad thing – some of it is inevitable. But what are we doing collectively in this State to stem the flow of money out of here? Keep in mind all those federal dollars that flow here for social service programs (that then get administered by DHHS) is a direct response to all those profit $ leaving here unimpeded.
Whenever someone puts an idea out there for creating jobs, or reducing energy costs, or whatever it is – ask the following: where are the profits going to wind up and; if the profits are going elsewhere, what is also proposed to offset the loss of those dollars?
Juliet Browne was the chief mouthpiece for Trans Canada’s foray and resultant destruction of the fragile habitats in the Kibby Range, a project that routinely works at all of 15%-20% of its capacity. The green credits and other subsidies it gets are functioning at 100%! Browne knows what sort of green really matter; her clients have plenty of it.
Jon Hinck, Alex Cornell du Houx and Stacey Fitts – three of the 12 members (25%) of the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology are foxes in the hen house.
They should immediately recuse themselves.
Jon Hinck is married to Juliet Browne who is a lawyer and partner at Verill Dana whose main practice deals with the defense of wind power companies .She has been extremely busy in the past few years representing wind developers on the local level, before Maine DEP ,and LURC and defending the companies in numerous appeals and lawsuits . She has represented First Wind, TransCanada and Independence Wind and is quite possibly the wind industry’s leading attorney in Maine.
Alex Cornell du Houx, an avid supporter of wind power, is the outreach coordinator of the Truman National Security Project. This organization states a deep philosophical belief that climate change is a national security threat. On that subject one of their position papers includes the following statement concerning the threat of climate change to our country’s national security, “Even if you do not have complete information, you still need to take action! Waiting for 100% certainty during a crisis can be disastrous.” That sounds awfully like, “Shoot first then ask questions “. A sister organization of the Truman National Security Project is Operation Free, where Mr. Du Houx serves as Campaign Director. Operation Free lists as its first core motivational principal “get America running on clean energy”. In fact, the organization’s logo prominently features industrial wind turbines.
Stacey Fitts, co-chair of the Joint Standing Committee onEnergy, Utilities and Technology, works for Kleinschmidt Associates, an engineering, licensing, environmental service firm offering specialized technical services to the renewable industry. At the link below is some information regarding that firm. Kleinschmidt’s wind focus is primarily off -shore wind power, but the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee makes decisions on offshore wind and decisions made for offshore wind will benefit onshore, such as anything that helps along large transmission projects. Co-Chair Fitts was quoted in the February 7, 2011 Sun-Journal as saying “Everyone wants to find the conflict, the snake in the grass. But every legislator in the building is conflicted if you were to take that same standard and apply it to everyone else. It’s the nature of being part-time legislators.”
But what happens when the legislator’s employer actively approves of its employee’s work as a legislator and perhaps encourages such legislative endeavors to exceed simple part-time work? As can be seen above, Kleinschmidt’s website brazenly boasts, “we have been very active in the development of state regulations in Maine where one of Kleinschmidt’s engineers is a member of the Governor’s Ocean Energy Task Force”.
http://www.windtaskforce.org/photo/abstain-for-maine
Well done on this one. This is not a party issue as much as it is a collision of industries using parties as battering rams. Nothing new here.
I know people who think electric power should go up 10 fold… I don’t chum with them…
Why wouldn’t our politicans want the people of Maine to have lower rates and a more stable electric supply… Look into who opposes it and there will be a money trail somewhere.. The are suppose to representing the people, not the money people…
Oh I see the D’s are doing what they do best.Standing in the way of progress. Oh wait a minute I thought progress and progressive would go hand in hand Oh well silly me what was I thinking
LePage has to take care of his Canadian energy Lobbyists. They pay well.
Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx, D-Brunswick: “Now as the legislative session is in the last month, he [LePage] is trying to recklessly upend good energy policy with almost no notice for a public hearing? The people deserve more time to find out if they will be one of the winners or losers under the plan.”
I’ve never heard Rep. du Houx condemn former Governor Baldacci & Sen. Phil Bartlett’s force feeding of expedited wind permitting to Maine back in 2008. The public only had one business day to review that bill before its public hearing. That bill had enormous implications to Maine and Mainers, but was rammed through rapidly by the wind power ideologues, even later in that session, with virtually no chance for public comment. I’d like to hear Rep. du Houx decry that. Maybe he’d be willing to stand up for those of us in rural Maine who never got a chance to comment on that bill which has impacted so many of us negatively.
“The governor’s hydro proposal would take money from Maine people and hand it to a government-owned company in another country,” said Rep. Jon Hinck of Portland, the lead House Democrat on the Energy Committee.
Rep. Hinck and company perpetuate the mythical image of wind power being “homegrown” in Maine. All of the major players among Maine’s wind developers are out of state or foreign companies. Moreover, many of the landowners receiving lease payments are out of state absentee landowners. Yet Hinck and Co. want us to believe that that money going to these companies will be staying in the state. Once the projects are built, these companies are pretty much done with Mainers. Their loyalty is to their global investors, not rural Mainers.
Mainers don’t own the wind blowing over the state as the wind advocates like to imply – these non-Maine companies do. They capture the profits, sprinkle a few bones to Mainers, and send the rest to their investors around the world.
Opposition on LD 1863 at the hearing was almost exclusively from companies or individuals wanting to protect themselves from outside competition. Maine government is artificially engineering the Maine renewable industry and assuring its participants that they will not have to face competition – what’s best for the ratepayer doesn’t really figure into those plans.
This is what happens when the government tries to manipulate an industry to serve a few special interests. We now find ourselves indentured to wind developers and wind development related companies. In other words, we now serve them, thanks to those legislators who do their bidding for them.
Efficiency Maine. Four cents of your electrical bill.
Vermont opened the door with a 20 year, 6 cent/KwH deal
.
About half the cost of that project, $700,000, comes from a grant from Efficiency Maine.
Irvings is based in St. John, New Brunswick.
Energy policy must be based on science and facts, not party affiliation, loyalty or personal gain. Gov. LePage is demonstrating courage that is rare these days, particularly in Maine. Maine’s economy is being hamstrung by policies dictated (and I use that word in its truest sense) by Stacey Fitts, Jon Hinck, Phil Bartlett, Cornell DuHoux and others who profit, monetarily or otherwise, from the policy they promote. It’s got to stop!
Lepage has serious creditability Issues!
End of Story!
Actually, Maine’s Power is already pretty cheap. At least what wholesalers get paid. If you go to the ISO-NE website, you can see the prices selling on the open market and they are already quite often less that 3 cents/kW (or $30/MW). Look at the LMP map in the Maine zone. The price of Maine’s power follows Natural Gas very closely. Since the price of NG is down, power is cheap.
The DELIVERED electrical cost in Maine is HIGH, because of the Transmission and Distribution rates charged by CMP and Bangor Hydro. This gets us up to the 17 cent range. The charges consist of the cost to maintain lines and the power grid along with the profit they are being allowed to make by the PUC, which let’s them set their rates.
There is also a charge for REC’s that is passed back to the consumer. In some cases REC charges can 5 or 6 cents/KW. The great thing about wind and hydro is that they have a large fixed cost, over thirty years or so, there is very little operating expense, just a large investment to recovery. The problem is that most private industry is not interested in investments that do not have a 2 to 3 year payback, or that might make them miss their quarterly numbers.
I have no problem with Government incentives to drive clean energy, but it should not be picking winners and losers. By allowing Hydro Quebec a REC incentive, it will give them an unfair advantage over Maine power producers, and ship those REC dollars out of state. I’m all for taking away all the subsidies, particularly those given to the Oil and Gas companies. If Ethanol makes me get 10% less gas mileage, and gas is 10% Ethanol, won’t I use 10% more gas, making the Ethanol addition pointless and expensive? Why does Exxon need Government money?
If Gov. Lepage wants to lower rates to Maine Ratepayers, his PUC needs to make Bangor Hydro and CMP cut rates and be more efficient and less of the bloated monopolies that they are. The 2 to 3 cents he is trying to save in Power, could easily be taken out in T&D – Maine has the highest by far.
Water power turbines are a proven boost fro the TVA area in Tennessee. Wind is used in PrinceEdward Island and works for them. I am for anything that reduses dependence on oil. By the way I have to roll the grass tennis court soon. I still need gas for the tractor.