Energy costs
Responding to the Sept. 14 article, “PUC accepts commentary for offshore wind project,” I am disappointed by the short-sighted thinking of some in Augusta.
Statoil is a multibillion dollar international corporation with a strong North American presence willing to make investments in Maine. People need to understand that this would be an investment, not an income resource for Statoil. In return Maine would become the host for new technology and industry that is desired around the world.
Local engineering, technology and manufacturing firms would be contracted to do the work. Maine companies will develop globally exportable expertise and reputations, creating greater wealth for our local economy.
The success of this project will allow reduced electricity costs 10 and 20 years from now. Maine can’t focus on short-term energy costs that we don’t control. We need to invest in long-term energy cost reduction and stability.
Benefits outweigh the costs. Rate increases are measured in cents. The benefits of this project are long term, and we will reap the future rewards in ways not currently fathomed. Short-term quibbling on small jobs numbers or unnoticeable rate increases is foolish. Opportunities like this come to Maine once in a lifetime.
If Maine turns down a slam-dunk opportunity to work with and attract the investment of a recognized international giant like Statoil, companies worldwide will take notice of the fact that Maine is not truly interested in investment or open for business in any market.
Paul Williamson
Director and industry coordinator
Maine Wind Industry Initiative
Portland
What is the real rural Maine?
I was quite taken by the article “How can rural Maine attract business?” ( BDN, Sept. 15). It’s very well written and speaks to many points and truths about rural Maine and its lacking a skilled workforce, but I believe there is another side about rural Maine that should be brought forth.
Having grown up in a small town in Piscataquis County and living in Cumberland County for a number of years before coming to Bangor 25 years ago, I believe I have a well-rounded perspective to describe rural Maine. My most recent employment position was traveling east, north and west of Bangor, from Rangeley to Eastport to Fort Kent.
Across the board I would say that most of the territory I covered looked and felt like a depressed area with little or no hope. Where do they go for education or skills training? How can they afford to go anywhere? Skills are the key. The Maine woods is still here.
Perhaps there are other products that could be manufactured? I believe you can market almost anything if you really try. Helping rural Maine is about helping people. Get everyday people involved.
I believe there is a great deal of untapped talent already here. Maine has long had a reputation for its strong work ethic and dependable workforce. In Maine, we always get the job done.
I say, give Maine workers a chance to prove themselves. They have skills, and some of the older force that is mentioned could be used to start up and-or manage new businesses.
Bud Butterfield
Bangor
Tolerance
I was shocked and angry to learn of the desecration of two of Bangor’s synagogues with swastikas last Friday. That these events took place at all is most regrettable. That they took place on the Sabbath between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is particularly worrisome and suggests that all of us have much work to do in shaping and maintaining a tolerant community.
Churches, mosques, synagogues, cemeteries and private homes have been the targets for such intolerable behavior for centuries, if not millennia. Fortunately, such hate crimes are not common in Maine or Penobscot, Hancock or Washington counties, but they do recur periodically. When that happens, all of us are threatened, as are the institutions and fabric of the communities in which we live.
In 1986, about a year before he died, Holocaust survivor Primo Levi stated simply, “It happened, therefore it can happen again … it can happen, and it can happen everywhere.” This time the desecration may affect my house of worship or cemetery, but next time it may well be yours. All of us, therefore, have a responsibility in creating, maintaining and promoting greater tolerance within our community. All of us have a responsibility to ensure that our discourse is civil, that we treat each other with mutual respect, and that we respect the laws of our nation. All of us are responsible for constantly educating our children, each other, and ourselves that we choose to live in this community and work together because of our shared basic values and in spite of the individual differences we may have.
Richard C. Dimond, M.D.
Southwest Harbor
Support Gratwick
Democrat Geoff Gratwick is running for State Senate so that he can advocate for the people of Bangor and Hermon. Like all of us he is frustrated by what has been going on in Augusta. He believes that what becomes law in the next two years must address the concerns of the folks who live in our Senate district and must not simply benefit or please a special interest.
I have watched him work throughout his three terms on the Bangor City Council to attract new businesses, improve public transportation and foster economic development in downtown Bangor. He knows that there is no magical fix to Maine’s problems, and he believes that the solutions approved by the current Legislature have not made those problems better.
He believes in looking at proposals from all points of view, separating the good ones from those that are simply ideology put into print and working with all who seriously want to make Maine a better place to live.
He is the kind of senator that we need in Augusta. He has my support and my vote.
George Burgoyne
Bangor
The Declaration of Dependence
When in the course of human events, it becomes obvious that many people do not like to work for a living, a certain respect for their condition declares that we set forth the means that will impel us to provide reparation. Abhorrence of work will not be changed by thoughtful and proven reasons. And accordingly, all experience has shown that mankind is more disposed to get something for nothing than to stress themselves by looking for work.
Therefore, with a firm reliance on sublime generosity of our liberal benefactors, we mutually pledge to each other to never work for a living and always and forever vote for the Democrats.
David Huck
Swanville
Paul W., Bud B., Dr. Dimond: good letters.
David Huck, that is well said and so true! That is what Obama is counting on – those who just do not want to work for a living. Don’t all of us know someone who has learned to “work” the system?
You mean like GE?
Since you asked…..do YOU mean GE, as in the bailout, and as the CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, as one of Obama’s good friends, and who was Obama’s choice for Job Czar? Is that what you wanted to know?
Oooh, you hurt me bad.
You mean like an injured veteran?
What do you mean…”like an injured veteran”? Do you not know that those who serve in the military are not among those who do not want to work? In fact, they step forward and volunteer to serve our great United States of America so that they can defend and protect all citizens of this country. How dare you insinuate in any way that I meant anything negative about our military. How dare yo insult a member of our family who is currently serving as a commissioned officer? How dare you insult what he has sacrificed for “YOU” and indeed all those who do chose to stay home and, yes, “work the system”.
Shame on you wolfndeer!
do you know vets and active duty are part of the 47%. This has nothing to do with being lazy! it has very thing to do with being the HARD working poor
Shame on you, you made the implication, not me.
Republican billionares are certainly the most successful at “working the system” and getting government handouts, but, being someone who actually works for a living (and therefore a Democrat) I don’t personally know any billionaires.
Sad to see people so brainwashed that they see things in black and white. Why isn’t it possible that people can be well intentioned and just disagree on how to get where we want to go. Why does it always come down to name calling and, “Us good them bad, UGH” it’s oversimplifying our situation and labeling people neither of us even know.
You are aware that you suggested that no Republicans work for a living? Do you honestly feel that way? If not, I suggest the ten second rule. Read your post over a couple of times and actually think about what you’re putting out there and ask yourself if what you’re posting is true.
Where is your comment denouncing the initial letter? Why do you only have an issue with someone saying that Republicans don’t work? No response to the letter that suggested the reverse? That seems like hypocrisy to me.
How’s this. Huck’s letter was just plain silly. I’d use stronger language but the BDN seems to enjoy pulling my posts. Of course I think his letter was wrong. I did say i didn’t like his letter at the opening. of a previous comment (see above)I didn’t feel the need to go any further.
This isn’t about sides. that’s the problem. Everyone thinks it’s about sides. Forget the idea that BOTH sides may have some valid points. Most of you just want to call names and tell me how great your guy is. Rarely is it true. These candidates are 2 human beings. neither is perfect and neither is the devil.
I disagree with the President. We’re all allowed to disagree. It’s how foolish you have to look that makes the difference.
Currently, it seems that it is about sides. If the President were to walk out to a cloudless sky and say isn’t it beautiful the Republicans in Congress would all don rain coats and umbrellas.
The problems of this country can’t be fixed in the White House alone. The Houses of Congress need a great puging of extremeists.
“Currently, it seems that it is about sides. If the President were to walk out to a cloudless sky and say isn’t it beautiful the Republicans in Congress would all don rain coats and umbrellas.”
And yet you would claim the same is not true of Democrats when speaking of Romney?
All I can envision you saying is, “Well no, that’s different. WE’RE RIGHT”
Do you realize how ridicules that sounds?
Your opinion, is just that. An opinion.
Thanks to all for reminding me why I don’t bother to post under political topics anymore.
Just good and evil. Black and white. “Us right. Them wrong, UGH”
Have fun driving each other crazy.
You’re doing the exact same thing you complain about — that’s hypocrisy.
No, you’re just changing the subject now in order to avoid talking responsibility for your blatant hypocrisy. You complained that someone was being unfair and making generalizations about Republicans — that comment you complained about was in direct response to a letter that made unfair generalized statements about Democrats and you were silent. So you can point your finger elsewhere and try and divert attention, but you’re creating a double standard — that’s hypocrisy.
Of course there are no Democrat billionaires that work the system. We could start with John Kerry. He docked his boat in Rhode Island to avoid taxes in Mass. The Kennedys have their millions in trust funds to avoid inheritance taxes.
All I’m saying is that the system is broken. Congress has decimated the tax code to reward their rich donors with tax loopholes. We need to start fresh with a simplified tax code that is void of all loopholes.
Poorly said and so untrue. Futile attempt to be cute.
When the percentage of people who pay no taxes is finally greater than those that do, recovery will not be possible. 47% is already very close, and if you figure that the information is usually off by a few percentage points, the economy may already be unrecoverable.
It’s very obvious that Obama is pandering to those who contribute nothing, to get elected.
30% of those people WORK they pay all taxes, and get a REFUND. A good part of those 30% live in the poorest states and a lot of those states are RED.
My point exactly.
David Huck–Congratulations! That is without a doubt the dumbest letter BDN has printed all year.
You must be proud.
David Huck needs a reality check.
Can’t all you posters see David Huck’s letter as satire? Your comments tell me you did not pay attention when satire was taught in high school English classes.
Oh, we saw it for what it is. It’s still dumb.
David Huck, as a lifelong Democrat who has worked for my money since I was 10 years old until I retired, along with many other Democrats and Republicans, I can only say that you seem to be suffering from a severe case of cranialrectumvitis.
Bud Butterfield, good letter and good points. You are correct that there seems to be too many people in rural Maine that come out of the woodwork at the mere mention of any industry that is thinking of development here. On top of local grown opposition we seem to have state wide opposition in that Washington County has had the whole state shoot down several proposals to a casino/racino which would have at least offered jobs. Exatly what Oxford and Bangor got.
David Huckster, get real and understand who Romney’s 47 % are who pay no income taxes: senior citizens who paid income taxes all their lives until they retired; military personnel in combat zones; working folks with families who pay social security taxes at a rate (including the employer contribution) that exceeds the rate Mitt pays; and disabled people receiving SSDI, which they also contributed to with their taxes. As seniors and military people tend to vote Republican, and working folks with children tend to split evenly between the parties, I would estimate that that 47% probably would have voted in equal numbers for Romney and Obama until Romney’s recorded scorn for them torpedoed his chances.
I am a loyal Democrat who receives not a penny in government benefits and won’t until I retire. I suspect I pay more in tips than you do in taxes.
I don’t care for Mr. Huck’s letter but I’d like to point a few things out.
According to CNN 59 percent of the jobs created under the Obama administration pay 10 dollars or less. Is that really a recovery? Just because jobs are being created isn’t good enough if you can’t make a living wage. So to me, the whole “jobs created’ chant is kind of phony Looks great on paper but the reality isn’t quite as rosy.
Also according to CNN the second quarter growth was just revised DOWN to 1.4 percent.Do you understand the significance of this?
I don’t dislike President Obama. Seems like a nice enough guy. Heck i’m with him on social issues. But he really doesn’t appear to have any solutions to our economic woes.
Now, just forget there is an opposition for a moment. Forget the need to attack the other guy. Forget the screams of Republican obstruction.Can you please give me a little insight into any BIG ideas the President has for improving the economy. With the understanding that I don’t consider tax holidays and supporting education as BIG IDEAS. That pizza on Friday nights and getting more people in school and hopefully in a better position to succeed are great ideas don’t get me wrong. But they will not turn our economy around in the near future.
“Forget the screams of Republican obstruction” so you do realize that the screams from the republican side of the isle every time minimum wage increases are brought foward are loud and clear. Every time President Obama proposes a jobs bill the Republicans rise as one and do everything in their power to block them.
Maybe if when George W Bush came to office if the Democrats had stood as one and blocked every thing he wanted to do we wouldn’t be in the mess he left this country in. Maybe if the Democratic Leadership had made it their sole pupose to make him a one term President instead of tying to do what was best for the country…. Oh that’s right you don’t want to hear any of that.
Just can’t do it can you?
The core issue is that we have knowingly de-industrialized America. Reversing that trend will take time, tougher enforcement of trade laws, re-negotiating trade agreements, changing the tax code to encourage investment at home, raising the minimum wage, and revitalizing labor unions. Has President Obama supported all of these measures with the vigor necessary? No. Do we have a better shot with him rather than Romney as President? Yes.
The lasting changes under FDR came only when he felt the push from the left to pass such landmark legislation as the Social Security Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. That legislation laid the groundwork for a broad-based growth of the middle class as we emerged from the Depression in 1940.
Just for historical reference SS probably contributed to cutting off recovery from the Great Depression by removing cash from workers pockets when they needed it the most.
The Wagner Act (NLRA) acted to double the number of strike days nationally when it came to full effect in 1937. That alone contributed to the GDP decline. In addition, while union wages rose that had the effect of layoffs in non-union workers as well as a decline in thier average wage.
Neither the Wagner Act nor the Social security Act actually helped bring us out of the depression and and probably contributed to it going on as long as it did. It was WW2 that finished the depression.
Here is an interesting analysis that calls into question your suppositions: This article offers another interpretation, arguing that neither of these conventionalviews is fundamentally correct. The interpretation offered here is that forces inherent in the economy, ones that promote productivity growth, were the driving forcesundergirding recovery following the spring 1933 trough. ….understanding the economy’s post-depression evolution involves a combination of two forces. One is the role of increases in the demand for money relative to its rapidly expanding stock. The other, seemingly most unlikely given the “inadequate aggregate demand” orientation of analyses of the Depression, has forces inherent in the economy pushing it toward its trend value.25 This is what is called endogenous propagation, in the sense that forces endogenous to the economy interact to produce movements of the economy toward its trend rate of output. Another way to see this is to engage in the counterfactual experiment of assuming that there was no War, neither Atlantic nor Pacific. Would that have meant that the U.S. economy would not have recovered from its performance levels of 1940-41, that it would have remained essentially moribund at those economically unsatisfactory levels of performance? The answer has to be in the negative. (http://www.shsu.edu/~eco_www/resources/documents/WhatEndedtheGreatDepression.pdf)
And, I agree about SS. Cannot see how it would ‘pull’ us out of a depression but I can tell you that my grandmother was financially helpless because there was no SS program or Medicare in her day. And I don’t see how it prolonged the Depression because “the Social Security Act, which became law in August 1935, covered both the unemployed and the aged. It required employers and employees to pay a one percent payroll tax that would rise to three percent by 1948. However, the law exempted agricultural and shipping industries, as well as government, charity cultural, educational and domestic workers and enterprises with fewer than eight employees. This exclusion limited unemployment coverage to less than 22 million workers, fewer than half the number of gainfully employed. Under Social Security, when a worker reached sixty-five, he would be entitled an annuity, the amount depending on the length of time he had worked and the size of his earnings. It was to be no less than $10 or more than $85 a month.” The average weekly salary in 1935 was $29 so $.29 was taken out for SS. So they did lose several loaves of bread a week, maybe a half-gallon of milk. But that would hardly prolong the Depression.
But if million of people don’t buy a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk a week, that becomes a lot of farmers going under and a lot of bakers out of work.
TBH your first paragraph confused me a little. Except that what he is talking about in plain English is normal market forces. Neither the Keynsian influence nor that of the monetarists.
So, Greg, why are you faulting the President for less than living wage jobs? Why are you not faulting the companies that hire at that rate. Did you know LLBean pays a living wage to its ‘seasonal’ workers? I think that is the kind of economic patriotism the President is talking about. He cannot command businesses to pay a living wage. As taxpayers we subsidize those public assistance wages. Yes, those companies Mitt turned around? Staples, Burger King, etc….. all pay less than a living wage, much less. Closer to minimum wage. So who do we need to hold accountable? Throw Walmart out and ask Costco to come in. They also pay a living wage. Oh, and by the way our Governor did away with the Livable Wage Report that the state issued. Wonder why? Last one is for 2010. If you want the figure for your county let me know. I downloaded the report. It still may be available at maine.gov.
Dr Dimond – do you really think that these three nuckleheads hnow that the Hebrew holy days or even the Hebrew Sabbath were being abused?
They are not that smart,
Agreed, but they did know the significance of a swastika on a Synagogue. I say throw the book at these kids . One of whom has shown no concern of the consequences by running out and immediately doing it again. Throwing it in the faces of law enforcement.
Typical BS from hired wind shill Paul Williamson. Wind power is a loser all around. It produces, at best 25% capacity on-shore. Take it offshore and I will grant you that the wind resource is somewhat better and a bit more consistent. Deepwater Wind, which is doing the Block Island, RI project estimates 47% capacity and since the wind companies consistently overestimate by 20% or more that knocks it back to more likely 38%. Here’s the problem. Without unduly generous subsidy per MWH and heinous mandates, wind power wouldn’t even exist in our energy generation mix. It simply has too high investment cost and too low production to be competitive.
On-shore wind turbines are costing $4-6 million each. Look at Block Island Wind Project. This is a $300 million project for 5 turbines of 6 MW each. Just the cable from the site to shore is $45 million. The project will be “off the shelf” current components placed on monopoles that are secured to the ocean floor in shallow water. The contract for the electricity is 24.4 cents per kWh, with a guaranteed 3.5% annual escalator. This is 5 times the current cost per kWh of our current mix of generation.
Now apply this to the folly of floating wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine. This is new technology, floating in deep water, not anchored. New technology will be substantially costlier. The cable from ten miles or more out in the Gulf of Maine to shore will be more expensive. Then, wait until the next “Perfect Storm” Oct. 30-31, 75 mph winds and 40 ft waves. That, and more, is what these floating turbines must be designed to withstand or they end up somewhere in the head of the Bay of Fundy, a “windfall” for Nova Scotia scrappers.
If this doesn’t end up costing twice as much as Block Island Wind, I would be amazed. It is asinine to throw taxpayer money at such a stupid costly idea. It is even worse to expect to wreck our economy by mandating such outrageous costs.
David Huck – Nice job. And by the way the libs are reacting, you nailed the truth. This country is turning into a coast to coast welfare state. The Dems love it because the voluntarily enslaved keep on voting for their providers. The really sad thing is that the vast majority of these voluntary government slaves are too ignorant to realize that it’s the hard working taxpayers that are supporting their lazy lifestyles. But, never fear, if the libs stay in power much longer, there won’t be enough hard working taxpayers to steal the money from to feed the lazy masses. The bank will break, and all hell will break loose.
Vote Romney/Ryan in November, or this nation will fall.
Thank God for another insightful posting by EJ Parsons. It is reassuring to see complex issues cast in his usual good vs. evil light. All Republicans are saints and all Democrats are sinners. As other comments on David Huck’s fantasies have noted, the world is not quite so simple. I know lots of Democrats in Maine and elsewhere, and they all work. Of course to Huck and Parsons the corps that pay no income taxes and the corporate top honchos who make ever more even when the companies fail to turn a profit are not part of America’s problem. No, they safely ignore them. Huck and Parsons are so blinded by their hatred of persons who DO need assistance that they extrapolate to the working poor. However, if either of them ever needed unemployment assistance or medical care or some other govt. assistance, rest assured that they’d be first in line to collect. Recall the hypocrite GOP Rep. elected in 2010 who had campaigned against ObamaCare yet, weeks before he was sworn into office, demanded complete coverage! How many of Huck’s and Parsons’ beloved right-wing Congressmen/women decline their fantastic healthcare? Or pensions? I know of none. Obama is going to be re-elected, guys, and the world will not come to an end. Ditto the passage of gay marriage in Maine.
Any time something is published by someone affiliated with the wind industry of COURSE they are going to defend it.. rural Maine would do alot better to bring in come other type of either tourist related or product creating industry other than something that ruins and murders the one commodity they have- pristine countryside, rich wildlife and a simpler way of life…People travel from all over the country and world to find what we have in rural Maine ( in our town of Island Falls 70% of the taxes are from land owners who are not full time but come for just that) We may not bring in the big bucks of Bar Harbor or Ogunquit but the appeal of the non-commercialized woods and lakes and the ability to see wildlife easily reminds us that the conservation President TR started his love of the wild in the North Woods- wind offshore and on our rural countryside hills is not going to serve the economy in the long run..or anything else. It will be ruined forever- short sighted at best by a greedy deceptive industry that cares nothing for the environment in the end. ( In the Uk they now report polluting from all the back up coal required for wind farms).
Can you tell me how many people make a living wage from the tourist industry? With benefits, vacation time, etc.? Can they live year round on what they are able to make in the few months that tourists come to Maine?
patom . . . . We aren’t called “Vacationland” for nothing. Tourism amounts to better than $15 BILLION to Maine’s economy. Industrial Wind projects will not bring visitors to Maine. It is the antithesis of tourism. Go show your ignorance on another topic.
Vacationland is all good and pretty. What I’m talking about is how is the tourism business keeping people here to make a living and raise their families with a stable income that has benefits and wages that allows them to buy a house if they desire.
The jobs being offered in the tourism industry seem to be going to foreign workers who come here, work a few months and return to their home countries. This state needs good paying year round jobs for its citizens.
“how is the tourism business keeping people here to make a living and raise their families with a stable income that has benefits and wages that allows them to buy a house if they desire”
It doesn’t.
The ONLY reason that Island Falls has such a high percentage of non-resident taxpayers is that they have driven every industry out of town, leaving only the tourism businesses (and very few of them) to carry the dwindling load.
The depopulation of rural Maine continues.
Either Paul Williamson is outright lying; or he is ignorant of the STATOIL request to the PUC for either a 29 cent/KwH or a 32 cent/KwH price for offshore wind energy. In very sharp contrast is Vermont’s ‘deal’ with HYDRO QUEBEC for 20 years of reliable clean power at 6 cents/KwH.
Time for Mainers of every class to rise up and let the PUC know which type of energy they prefer…expensive, unreliable, off shore wind; or 20 years of dependable, green, renewable energy from Hydro Quebec! JUST DO IT; don’t let any more foreign companies ‘take over’ Maine’s Energy business.
This JUST IN..listen to other States that are learning the hard way:
The following was taken from yesterday’s report in Renewable Power Magazine!! Idaho is paying $0.65 for wind and $0.05 for hydro and they are pushing back for the right to curtail. If they win this will end wind power in the state.Here is the quote:The utility insists that is has no anti-wind agenda. “It’s important to understand that Idaho Power is not against wind energy. In fact, the first major wind project to come onto our Idaho Power’s system, the Elkhorn Valley Wind Farm, was initiated by Idaho Power. But in the span of a few short years, more than 600 megawatts of wind power has been added to our system. As such, we are well positioned to speak to wind’s attributes and its shortcomings…wind’s erratic nature demands that other resources be in place to ensure the reliability of the power grid. At Idaho Power, we advocate for any and all generation resources that are reliable and fair-priced. Currently, wind power doesn’t meet those criteria,” the company said in a statement issued to REW.comThe Idaho PUC is expected to rule on several other PURPA issues, including PPA contract length, the precision of prices paid for capacity and energy, liquidated damages, and the issues surrounding non-performance. The latter item, Lobb noted, was highlighted in July, when Idaho Power set an all-time system peak load power of approximately 3250 MWh. “Of their 440 MW of wind online, only 14 MW was actually supplying. They’re paying for capacity, but they’re not getting it,” he said.Indeed, paying too much for renewables was the Idaho Power’s primary argument for curtailment, saying that the non-negotiated rates it is required to employ are as much as $65 per MWh, compared to $5 per MWh for hydroelectric. “One of our problems [with renewable energy] in Idaho is low [energy] prices and lack of need. It means that we can’t continue to add resources indefinitely, and we have added a lot in the last few years,” Lobb said.
Most people in America and Maine don’t even know who the Hebrew people are, or what their influence means to the military and religion. Most people don’t know the attack on the USS Liberty ever occured and was a calculated attack by Jews on a unaware American military vessel. If you allowed people to realize how Hebrews abuse the national intend to this land’s population to justify their own pious religious needs, that might actually be a negative for the prominance of the Jews and their state of Israel. Best for the masses to live in ignorance.
Mr. Williamson:
“Rate increases are measured in cents.”???? Another lie from the Wind Shills. . . . . Did anyone notice that rates went up 19.6% on CMP on July 1st? I didn’t think so because the Wind supporting media has refused to tell the ratepayers that increase was due to wind mills and their effect on the grid. That increase was to pay our portion of the $1.4 BILLION (that’s right, BILLION) upgrade that CMP is just finishing up this fall. It is an upgrade that did not need to be done at all. Iberdrola, the new Spanish owner of CMP, and a leading Wind Producer in Spain, has said that the new upgrade is not adequate for the massive plans they have for Maine. They estimate that better upgrades will cost between $19 and $26 BILLION. You think a 20% increase is small change Mr Williamson? Try 20 times that amount!!!!!!!
The Wind industry has collapsed in Spain, and will not be supported by large subsidies anymore. Ibradrola made the statement that in order for them to stay in business they will have to find other countries (translated “Suckers”) with government subsidies to move to. Guess who they found? The good ol’ USA!!! Imagine that.
Mr. Williamson, you know and I know that your wind projects can not be a profitable industry without the huge subsidies enjoyed by your industry. You decry the oil industry gets “subsidies” but in reality, they get the same tax breaks every other large industry gets for research, exploration, depreciation, etc. Those are all costs of their doing business. They make huge profits in dollars, but a very small profit in the percentage of what they sell. It is real true propaganda that your side sells the population these lies. WIND CAN NOT MAKE IT ON THEIR OWN!!! The energy they produce does not save us from CO2, does not provide meaningful jobs to Mainers, spoils our scenery, disrupts the lives of those who live nearby, clears trees that sequester CO2, and most of all increases our electricity rates to levels that will chase industry from our state. It is a lot more than a “few cents”.
Does anyone remember Jan 3rd, 2007???The day the democrats took over was not January 22nd 2009, it was actually January 3rd 2007 the day the Democrats took over the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the very start of the 110th Congress.The Democrat Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995.For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy that everything is “Bush’s Fault”, think about this:January 3rd, 2007 was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the Congress.At the time:The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5%The Unemployment rate was 4.6%George Bush’s Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB GROWTHRemember the day…January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate Banking Committee.The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part of the economy?BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES!Unemployment… to this CRISIS by (among MANY other things) dumping 5-6 TRILLION Dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac FIASCOES!Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to stop Fannie & Freddie – starting in 2001 because it was financially risky for the US economy.And who took the THIRD highest pay-off from Fannie Mae AND Freddie Mac? OBAMAAnd who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie? OBAMA and the Democrat CongressSo when someone tries to blame Bush.REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd, 2007…. THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!”Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress and the party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democrat Party.Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for 2008 & 2009 as well as 2010 & 2011.In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.For 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the 2009 budgets.And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete 2009.If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself. In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th.
Mr. Williamson, if wind power is such a good investment, then why do you rely on government subsidies? Wouldn’t the free market build windmills, if it was indeed a good investment? Why do we need generators powered by coal, on spinning reserve whenever the windmills are generating, which isn’t often? Where is the environmental benefit of slicing down mountaintops? What is the benefit of higher electricity rates, if we want to attract and retain businesses, which create jobs? We need to reduce electrical rates, not raise them.
As far as I’m concerned, the only benefit is to the companies scamming the taxpayers for $$$$ that our government does not have; all to build windmills that have proven to be an unreliable source of electricity. The SCAM is over.
If rail roads were such a great investment why did they get subsidies from the government in the 19th century? If airlines were such a great investment why does the government supply them with airports?
Mr Williamson makes it sound like Statoil is some Burger Joint coming to America to “invest” in restaurants that might be good enough to attract our purchasing dollars.
IT. DOES. NOT. WORK. THAT. WAY.
Maine’s offshore wind quest and the involvement of UMO is worthy research into a far-fetched idea. That’s what great universities do. It can cost a few million in public dollars, and it has already, but every once in a while something good comes to market as a result of such research. But what is presently steaming full bore at us in the guise of Statoil and buoyed by the PR enchantments of well paid pitchmen like Mr. Williamson is a one-way, no choice institution that saddles us to Car Test on steroids for decades.
You see, the warm fuzzy wind stardust now in our eyes about this unnecessary and unproven newfangled generation source will cause us to wink and mandate the purchase of the product at whatever cost, because we will have invested” too much to turn back.. THAT is the slam dunk that every Burger Joint would love to get, Mr. Williamson. Shame on us for daring to question your righteous infallibility as you sales pitch us. And shame on us for daring to engage in critical thinking. Most of us will put more thought into which burger to order.
And pennies? Pennies? Statoil TODAY has a rate filing at Maine PUC seeking approval to forcibly sell their experimental power to us for ten times the going rate. That’s like getting government to make customers buy your three dollar Whopper for $30. Big investors, Statoil, aren’t they?
If we had some assurance, via sound research instead of PR hype, that offshore wind will be viable, then we might show some inclination to “investing” in it. By viable we mean competitive, functional, and able to replace or even displace conventional generation that provides base load or peak load on demand. And lwe won’t do what Mr. Williamson wants and just ballpark these metrics; remember, this is a no-anullment marriage.
So then let’s say it is proven viable. Do we need it? Is there an electricity shortage out there? The ISO-NE grid operator projects annual demand growth of under one percent for two decades. How much will the gargantuan transmission network cost us? How much will it cost us to either keep existing plants viable or to close them before their time? How much will it cost to defend this terrorist’s sweet spot? How much will taxpayers fork over and how much will ratepayers fork over? Answers please? Is there a doctor in the house?
The silver tongued Habib Dagher at UMO often says “I believe we can possibly get it down to within the ten cent range.”
A scientist on the public payroll who believes. He believes? How about something a little more scientific, like formulas, spreadsheets, and matrices, Dr. Dagher?
OK. Let’s imagine he CAN do far-shore for 10 cents what Cape Wind cannot do near-shore for 20 cents. If the natural gas revolution, as expected for decades, continues to hold market price at 3 cents, how will it be before Maine devolves into a third world economy with the yoke of triple electricity bills? Nope, Mr. Williamson. You need a reality check, not to mention some manners. Bravo to the wise burger shoppers out there who have set aside their wind warm fuzzies and who aren’t buying your imaginary magic burgers, Mr. Williamson.
I can refer to Keynes, Stiglitz, Galbreath, Krugman and a host of other economists for my point. Sweden pulled out of the Great Depression first, because it spent enough borrowed money to restore aggregate demand. Roosevelt helped drop the unemployment rate from 25% to 16% in his first four years, then listened to Morgenthau and tried to balance the budget, causing a small recession. We pulled out of the Great Depression well before Pearl Harbor, by mid-1940, as we borrowed money to help arm England.
The reason the SSA, the FLSA, and the NLRA worked is that they effectively converted what would other wise have been saved money into wages or benefits which were more readily spent by the working class, increasing aggregate demand.