Conservative groups, funded in part by oil and gas interests, are stepping up efforts to reverse state renewable energy requirements. In his weekly radio address, Gov. Paul LePage blamed the law for Maine’s high energy prices — for the second time in as many months.
“Regulations now block our ability to take advantage of the abundance of resources out there,” the governor said in the address aired Saturday. “Studies indicate that Maine’s current Renewable Portfolio Standards Law, which mandates the minimum amount of energy consumers must purchase from various sources, will raise the cost of electricity in Maine by 8 percent in the next five years.”
LePage did not cite a specific study in his radio address.
The governor, a Republican, also criticized the renewable requirement in an October radio address. In this speech he referenced a study by the Beacon Hill Institute.
The legislative council, or ALEC, is a conservative-leaning group of state legislators from all 50 states that has sought to roll back climate regulation in the past.
As part of its effort to roll back renewable standards, ALEC is citing economic analyses of state policies co-published by Suffolk University’s Beacon Hill Institute and the State Policy Network. Both groups have received donations from foundations funded by the Koch brothers.
The analyses — which examine current or proposed standards in states as Maine, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina and Oregon — assume the Energy Information Administration’s projected renewable energy price estimates are too low, and that cost-containment measures embedded in state policies will fail. As a result, the reports conclude Kansas’ requirement to obtain 20 percent of its electricity will cost consumers $644 million over the next eight years, while Oregon’s goal of 25 percent renewable electricity by 2025 will cost consumers $992 million by 2025.
Beacon Hill Institute research economist Michael Head said he and his two co-authors were skeptical the cost caps outlined in legislation would kick in.
“We just left it out so we could provide the actual analysis of the policy itself,” Head said, adding that the central question is not whether renewable energy costs more but “the matter of degree. You’re certainly going to have these higher electricity prices. They will have profound negative consequences for the states’ economies.”
But Gabe Elsner, co-director of the public watchdog group Checks and Balances Project, said the legislation and economic reports amount to “a one-two punch against clean energy laws across the country” by fossil-fuel interests.
“You push the legislation to state legislators and then you fund reports to support the argument and convince state lawmakers,” Elsner said, “and all without any transparency or disclosure about the sources of this funding.”
“Maine needs a truly free energy market,” LePage said in the address aired Saturday. “Recent events and reports show how Maine could better compete in the global economy if we had a competitive energy market that allows consumers their choice of resources.
The Washington Post contributed to this report.
No comments are needed. Story said it all. LePage is simple the saleman for gas/oil interests not the Governor of the State of Maine defending the interests of his constituents.
Another blind sheep who just swallowed his liberal propaganda by the LBDN.
No, it is not Jonathan Albrecht who is the “blind sheep.”
You are starting to figure out it is YOU who is the minority . You had a 2 year run. It was a fluke, enjoy the memories of it . It is over The people ( the flesh and blood ones) have regained control .
So his constituents are not interested in more affordable electricity rates? They are not interested in oil and gas when over 50% of our daily lives, from plastics to fuel, food, and clothing, rely directly upon the industry?
Burn baby burn. Fossil fuel is cooking the planet.
“They” are not interested in anything that Lepage’s hands have touched.
‘Nuff said.
If you are on grid, you should be shaking your piggy bank. The big bad gas/oil CORPS. are going to get your money….Open your eyes……………This is Reality.
Well, maybe just the constituents who struggle with high energy cost. , but besides them you are right on ,Man.
“LePage is simple”
Truer words were never spoken.
His acolytes are pretty simple too.
Lepage and the Heritage think tanks are allied with big-money energy interests like Exxon-Mobil, the most profitable company in the US, I think. If Lepage can convince me, Joe Citizen, that renewable energy proponents are the enemy who will cost me money, the rich will get richer at the cost of our environment. My electric bill is the last thing they are concerned about.
When the Koch Brothers and their like figure out how to monopolize profits on solar, wind, hydo, tidal, and biomass, all will again be well in their little corner of America.
When they can monopolize it too, so it fits it into their non-feudal corporate plans ?
Just how I look at it, as I otherwise agree with your broad point.
Well isn’t that a surprise! The two words that always seem to go together under this administration, LePage + Blame (Democrats-Daddy-Poor People-Unions- Labor-Environmental, Economic, Cultural Laws and Regulations- and what about those Intellectuals! Did he/I leave anyone out of his blame game?). Makes one wonder when if ever this man actually plans on getting down to the business of running the State?
No surprise here, LePage wants to open up markets and bring costs down for ALL Mainers, while folks like SR want to close the market to competition, protect the entities that THEY feel need protection (i.e. extremely expensive renewables) so them and THEIR buddies can have a piece of the energy supply profits.
At least with LePage’s plan our money goes to purchase energy with relatively low subsidies, so more of our money f=goes to energy instead of lining the pockets of the politically connected few. If we follow the path of the dems, energy costs go up and the heavily subsidized renewable industry fat cats and CEOs walk away with our tax dollars.
open up the market and remove the parasitic, dem-supported middle-men
You know JackLakesonXT, you just might have a problem with social skills the moment you start herding people into groups by saying things like “folks like” and talking directly to people in the second term.
Now let me see…when was the last time LePage and crew was talking about opening markets and increased competition? Oh yeah, it was about health insurance. Did the cost go down? Nope. For most folks they went up! Now I wonder what will happen if he and the oil, gas, and coal tycoons suddenly have all regulations upon them now suddenly vanished? Gee, I just donno what will happen. Life sure would be a whole lot easier if I, like you, could just seem to forget what happened yesterday. Of course I’d be a whole lot poorer, but that’s probably the point of your argument here, huh? As George Bush senior used to say, “Not gonna happen.”
LOL…more spin
the MAJORITY of ‘folks’ saw rate increases in the low single digit percentages, as oppossed to year after year of double digit premium increases under democrat rule for everyone
the ONLY people in the room who are advocating a further impoverished ‘middle class’ are narrow minded folks like you who sit there and rattle on about how ‘compassionate’ you are while your centalized, protectionist economic and social policies are literally driving everyone out into the cold
and BTW, I think the fellah who spends literally 16 hours a day on this web page commenting isn’t really in a position to address the social skills of others, as it is rather obvious you don’t get out much….or do much reading or learning for that matter
It’s fascinating to see how quickly you can take a discussion into something akin to bullying gutter talk. I guess a bit sad too. On the bright side, it does provide me with an explanation as to why you seem to like anything you hear from ALEC’s talking points and the mouth of Mr. LePage. Something tells me his short political career might last longer than yours here.
JackLakesonXT, that is SR code for “I find your counter points troubling and wish they were not seen, so I will do my best to have you banned from posting”
If you taunt or demean another poster in a clever , witty manner then you are one of the chosen, an intellectual , so no foul. If, on the other hand, you are direct as you were above, state what many would find to be the obvious, you will be reported , eloquently I’m sure, and your post will be deleted. The next step , of course is to have you silenced, for good.
I have been studying Goebbels totalitarian control over the media, arts and information, very enlightening.
Replace “troubling” with disturbing and I think you might have something of a point in this mash of thoughts you’ve presented. I’m not sure anyone is “reporting” anyone here anymore, just hitting them with the “neg” and moving on. I actually like it when conservatives go off the rails here…but I’m pretty sure this individual is pushing the limits as to what any moderator screening this stuff will allow. It would be logical that if one finds themselves constantly upside down on their comments they might consider either modifying how they present themselves or perhaps even modify their thoughts before choosing to share. If you prefer the “direct” approach even when it’s clearly viewed as disturbing to most folks here then by all means reward what you like. It’s a free world. The rest of us will do the same and the world will keep on turning.
You seem to be easily disturbed by words.Not the message or the intent, just the words used. I find that interesting.
No not words, it’s the people who use them that I find disturbing.
really? how hard did you have to squint at the words on the page before they started describing how Goebbels would use the comments section for web based community forums?
Goebbels… Rush Limbaugh’s hero.
His MO is to try and put people on the defensive……accusing you of being on here a lot (and so what??) when he is posting just as much.
Anyone who would call Abraham Lincoln an “anti-American, mercantilist tyrant” and celebrate his assassination has absolutely zero credibility with any reasonable and sane person. Your comments are repulsive and extreme. But like certain candidates who said certain things about women and rape, you are doing wonders for liberal causes. So keep up the good work!
The governor wants competition? Is that why he refused to implement the Affordable Care Act? The feds would have paid us $1,000,000,000 to implement is at savings to many of us. He wants to bring down costs “for All Mainers”? He’s so thoughtful.
“the feds would have paid us….”
so do you often find yourself advocating for those who would bribe you with your own money?
LOL….you anti-freedom, central planning folks are a hoot!
Ya, so let’s just send ’em our money and get nothing back. What a good idea that is.
So let the feds spend the money and administer it themselves absorbing the states cost in the process if that is your concern.
well that in essence is what they plan to do 100% federally paid for 3 years, 90% after that.
You have to admit the “feds would have paid us” comment is a little funny. I thought federal money was ours anyway…
No, actually, the “federal money” ISN’T ours. Maine is one of the states that receives MORE federal money back than it pays in. So when federal money comes to Maine, it truly is not OURS. It’s odd that way, the states that receive that type of federal welfare are mostly Red States, while it is mostly Blue States who end up supporting them.
And I suppose that the Middle East wars we’ve been involved in since W are not a subsidy for oil companies – a subsidy that has cost trillions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives.
oil isn’t a “low subsidy” producer of electricity . you must not have been here when our electril bills had an extra oil surcharge Oil is an economically foolish way to make electric ity
The fact remains that Maine has the highest electric rates in New England and one of the highest in the Nation…If the Green Energy crap isn’t to blame , what is ?? Instead of a hit peice on the Governor , perhaps an answer to that simple question ?? But expecting the BDN to do any investigative reporting is a waste of breath..Or perhaps the governor is correct…LOL…
Maine has had one of the highest electric rates in the country for many years,long before this “Green Energy Crap” came along. Investigate that.
The “Green Energy Crap” started here in Maine way back in the late 70’s and early 80’s with the push for biomass electric plants. State government has experimented in and interfered with the electric power industry here in Maine for at least 40 years. (About the same length of time do-gooder, nanny state democrats have had control of this state.) And everything they have done to “help us” has resulted in higher costs.
here we go with the 40 year myth again
I know, the truth hurts.
I think it’s you who’s myth-ing something.
Oh! Silly me. I should have known that in the minds of the less informed that the Democrats are responsible for all bad ideas.
No, not all bad ideas, just the well intentioned nightmares that inevitably cost us all, be it dollars or Constitutional guarantee’s.Ever noticed that all Liberal/Progressive “Ideas” always have an enforcement provision, all of them. Dose that trouble you at all?
not at all. Alot of people won’t “do the right thing” on their own UNLESS there is enforcement. the perfect example of that was 2008 economic collapse.” Voluntary compliance” didn’t work out so well wiih the SEC as our economy collapsed..
Not at all. In this case some of the ideas came from environmentalists. But all had to be written into law by democrat controlled legislatures. Progressives, both Democrat and Republican, thinking their central planning and utopian ideas would “help”, (sarcasm intended on the “help”), the average person or that they knew better than electric industry professionals how to run the electric power business in Maine.
My electricity rates have gone down over the past 10 years. How about yours?
My first bill with bangor hydro was inJune of 05. I was on CMP before that.
6-2005 15.6 cents per KWH
11-2012 16.41 cents per KWH
It has not gone down.
It has in terms of real dollars. 16.41 cents in 2012 is worth less than 15.6 cents in 2005, effectively meaning you pay less for electricity.
That’s not to say our market couldn’t, and shouldn’t, be much cheaper. Electricity costs in Maine are outrageous, as are many other costs.
You have a valid point in the fact that inflation has made the dollars spent now worth less than the ones spent in 2005.
However, my income, like that of a large majority of people, has NOT increased over that time. So I and a lot of other people are actually worse off that we were before.
One reason costs like energy are so high is that there are little to no Maine owned generation and/or production businesses. With the profits of these non Maine based businesses landing elsewhere, there is insignificant re-investment or tax revenue, driving up the cost to provide the service or product because of tired old infrastructure or other barriers.
Further as these types of businesses are sold and resold, it is the end-user who continually pays the costs and cash out premiums of mergers and acquisitions.
Take a look at those locally owned businesses across the state regardless of the product or service they provide. They are the ones who have a deep interest in the economic health of their neighbors and the infrastructure that supports them. They are the ones who are first to ante up on some sort of improvement project. They are the ones who will gladly pay their fair share of taxes.
As long as we do business with outfits who really have no vested interest in the State, you can expect the costs to be abnormally high because there is really not much competition, and because the burden of reinvestment falls on the locals (higher taxes).
If my memory serves me right,back in the 60’s there was a referendum put before the voters to have a State run power plant and the power companies put on an all out campaign blitz against it. Being a pocketbook issue,they convinced voters they could do a better job at a cheaper price.
Your post is right on….
Remember, the STATE forced Bangor Hydro, CMP, etc, to sell their generating facilities.
Understand that and you understand where the fault lies..
Maine’s electrical rates are the lowest in New England — a fact that our governor never gets around to mentioning. I wish someone would investigate that! http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=puc-faq&id=192153&v=article
Unfortunately, when you compare the slightly lower Maine rates to the per capita incomes in most other New England states, Maine doesn’t fare well at all.
maine’s electric rates have always been high It ends up nuclear power wasn’t “too cheap to meter” ..The rates went down significantly after we CLOSED Maine Yankee .They have been creeping back up and are now at the SAME rate as 20+ years ago, when our primary source was nuclear.
agreed. I am paying the same amount now for electricity for a three bedroom house in Maine that I used to pay for a one bedroom apartment in NYC 30 years ago.
It’s called price gouging. Seen the profits these jokers are making at your expense for little or no real services? All dishonest speculators and middle men. That’s where the money is going when it comes to fossils. They are the reason we are in this whole oil mess to begin with. But that’s another topic.
Maine!s high rates are caused by several factors: natural gas prices that fluctuate, incumbent hydro resources that have no real competition, and very old, very expensive infrastructure with ridiculous maintentance costs. Add to that the enviro regs that run up costs for new plants and t-lines, and you have the answer. An there is no cheap hydro coming to save the day. HQ wants in the market for its profit potential. Not to be charitable.
Maine has as many rivers to produce hydro power as New Brunswick and Quebec, but we refuse to use it, we don’t want nuclear power, we don’t want a coal fired plant, gas turbines get challenged, even wind power gets fought because it spoils people’s “million dollar view”.
We refuse to let anyone generate power, and can’t figure out why it’s so expensive.
Has anyone even considered that the Governor might know what he’s talking about? Every time he makes any statement, the BDN runs an article that might as well be titled “LePage wrong again.”
Unfortunately, our governor doesn’t know anything. Or, more correctly, he doesn’t know what he is talking about. He only knows what ALEC and MHPC are talking about. All his energy talking points are conveniently available at the more than slightly fact-challenged MHPC website: http://www.mainepolicy.org/2012/09/release-renewable-energy-law-forces-higher-electricity-rates-job-losses/
our rates were HIGHER when we had nuclear .They went down after we closed the plant,. They are now creeping back up and are at thew SAME rate as when we had nuclear ..I think it is worth a re-look at SMALL hydro..
Maine electricity rates are the LOWEST in New England. Get your facts straight!
There is another fact you may want to consider. Burning fossil fuels is causing climate change. According to the World Bank, one of the most conservative entities in the world, climate change is a cataclysmic event in the making.
nuclear —- we are still having to PAY to protect the waste.
Careful Governor, they pumped millions into your campaign. (don’t want to bite that hand now do you) Take a lesson from one of the truly last great Republicans.
________
“you can fool some of the people only some of the time but not all the people all of the time”
– Abraham Lincoln
The ‘last truly great republican’ that you reference was nothing but a revamped Whig who famously said the following:
“Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable – a most sacred right – a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world.”
The man was an outright liar, a cheat, and a fraud. Pretty much the same as a modern day progressive liberal.
Sic Semper Tyrannis
Was one of your ancestors John Wilkes Booth?
Anyone calling Lincoln those things shows themselves to be really out of it. You don’t even know what you are talking about . Deranged thinking.
so you want to repeal the 13th amendment too? Have you signed any of the petitions to allow a state to secede? That would be the first step.
sorry the revolution has been called off because of lack of interest.
…could have sworn that was Bob Marley!…
He borrowed it. (or stole it) No doubt he made more money on it then ‘ole Abe did. A new generation of tye-dye and wanna be hippy chicks.
“get up stand up, stand up for your rights”
Lepage operates on the Geo. Bush malapropism,
“You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.”
Bangor Daily Trash. What a disgraceful way to start the article. It’s got liberal bias right from the start. Shameful on the disgusting LBDN!
Yes, how dare they mention what’s actually going on at any point. It’s almost criminally responsible.
What is going on is the wind profiteers are financially benefiting by scamming the government (taxpayers) into giving subsidies to build wind farms, all while we poor ratepayers are stuck with the more expensive and unreliable 30 cent per kilowatt electricity bill. Of course, we’ve also got to keep those coal fired generators on spinning reserve, so when the wind dies down, we can still have power. Environmentally friendly, NOT! SCAM, YES! Eliminate the 100MW cap on Hydropower. Hydro is renewable and it’s cheap. Yes, common sense can go a long ways and prior to LePage, there was NONE!
Some of that is probably even true (with current technology, wind power is largely a cul-de-sac, for instance, and the people pushing it are too dialed in not to know that), but none of it invalidates the lede in any way. The sad truth of the matter is that everybody in this sorry scene is a villain. Governor LeStooge and his Old Energy backers; the wind turbine snake-oil salesmen who are giving all of New Energy a bad name; everybody. There’s no hero in the world of commercial energy today.
LOL
Don’t read it then.
The beginning paragraph describes an actual process underway in this state and others. Is telling the truth a biased statement?
ALEC told him to say that! He would never think of that by himself.
This drip has been in office for two years and he’s blaming ‘laws’ for what is essentially a failure of his administration. If energy prices in Maine are too high, then it’s his job to find a solution.
Do you recall what JFK said? or were you not born at the time he was president.? He said, ” Ask Not What your country can do for You, BUT what Can You do for your country?”. You snibble at what ever you can find to place blame upon a man who is doing his job. Shame .
I think he’s doing a rotten job, at doing his job.
Sour grapes eh/ looking fwd to see you run for his job. lols
Perhaps your view is like that of sheep.
The problem is that Lepage twisted JFK’s words and operates on the “Ask not what your state can do for you, but what you can do TO your state” idea.
B.S.
Seems he has found a solution to those high cost, no?
texas!
Depends, are you looking or a date? If not, then is e question do I live in a State where energy cost are through the roof, A State where it is dark 12 hours a day and cold 7 months of the year, A state where we spend millions subsidizing energy schemes that do nothing but line the pockets of Liberal/Progressive Donors and power Players, while dismantling our Hydro damns and de-classifying Hydro energy as a renewable resource,Dose that sound like the Sate your asking about?
…. don’t flatter yourself. You aren’t in my league……
Probably a Texan trying to influence Mainers. uh huh.
He is trying to find a solution. Apparently not supporting renewable energy at any cost is not a viable solution in your book. There are only so many ways to produce energy. All of those ways are unpopular with any of the various special interest groups at hand. Meanwhile, as we congratulate ourselves to erecting windmill, ripping down hydro electric dams, and allowing nuke licenses to expire, we all wonder why we are paying over double the rates that the median rate of the country is. And the Canadians are selling us the needed nuclear energy and transmitting it over the border. What solution do you propose? In our state in these divided times, there is no right answer.
LOL – yeah nukes are the smart way to go. Just ask Japan.
Then what ideas do you have that may satisfy the future needs of Maine, that will satisfy all that live here, and be environmentally friendly? Oh, and yeh, Japan is still using nuclear power.
A more competent administration.
So a more competent administration will come up with an energy plan that will please the vast majority of Mainer’s, and look eco-centric at the same time? Really?
CONSERVATION of energy,. USING LESS of it no matter what the source of it is. In the last 5 years Mainers reduced their oil use by 50% !!!! That is phenominal !!
That is NO MONEY going into any one else’s pockets!!! AND for the most part people did that with NO “government ” help . The ONLY motivation they needed was $4.00+ gal of oil that really ticked them off and they said a collectiive “NO MORE” in response!!! Home owners insulated the heck out of their homes and looked for cheaper alternatives !!!
Or Germany, … or the State of Maine, come to think on it …
as the more positive progressive examples of places that closes them down because they have figured out that they are really economically viable.
or three mile island or chernobyl..
Well said! Typical GOP response!
On November 6, 2012 Mainers went to the polls and voiced their opinion on how they felt their State had been run and managed for the past two years. The results indicated that they were not happy with the policies of Tea Party Paulie LePage, nor of the special interest legislation enacted by the Legislature that was controlled by Tea Party Republicans. Mainers dealt the Republican Party one of the worst defeats in the history of Maine politics. It should have come as no surprise to the Tea Party Republicans that Mainers were not happy with they way their State was being run. In November of 2011 Mainers went to the polls to overturn legislation passed by the Tea Party Republican controlled Maine Legislature on same day voter registration. That vote wasn’t even close. It was termed a bloodbath by some. Maine voters had sent the Tea Party Republicans a message, but they buried their collective heads in the sand and kept right on doing what they had done before Maine voters sent the message. After all they were tea party Republicans and they and only they knew all the answers. Now we have Tea Party Paulie going on the radio to blame the high cost of energy on current law. Like the tea party Republican controlled legislature back in 2011 apparently Tea Party Paulie hasn’t gotten the message yet. To make it simple for Tea Party Paulie and his parrot supporters to understand……Maine voters have rejected you , your antics and your policies Paulie. What you think is no longer of any importance to Maine voters , at least not the majority of Maine voters. You can go on the radio, you can go on TV, you can send out news releases, you can say anything you want, but it doesn’t matter Paulie. Maine voters have spoken and they have tossed you and your tea party parrot supporters and apologist along with your failed ideology on the dung heap of Maine politics.
Tea Party Paul thought things would go his way. He is finding out that that word Governor in front of his name does not let him get away with even half of what he would like to do.
Imagine what is going to happen once the Democrat controlled legislature appoints a new Attorney General.
and Secretary of State and State Teasurer
It is going to be a nice and welcome overhaul. It has begun in a big way already.
darn I wished we could replace the4 commisioner of education..
Maine voters proved they are anxious to get back to the great liberal welfare days of handing out EBT cards and disability checks like candy on Halloween. Good luck at finding a few to finance this coming goat rope.
Give it a rest. Blah blah blah. Don’t you have a different drum to beat instead of the same old tune?
Mainers are showing they know what “people before politics” REALLY means .
He also said Maine needs a truly free health care market and we saw how that worked out.
When will the BDN find a new photo of the Gov.? If his name was Kennedy or Obama, there would be a Nice New photo in each article. Very disrespectful of BDN.
I have a couple I could propose, but this page won’t let me attach them.
Sad statement for a liberal. true colors are so colorful.
There are no good pictures of him.
Wait. Two years from now – Le Page, his family, daughter and brother-in-law, with bags on the steps of the Blaine House.
It is going to be a lot of fun watching Paulie’s little tea house of cards come tumbling down.
What would anyone expect a Koch head to say about RENEWABLE energy? The billionaire trust fund babies and their minions would have us believe that we have enough fossil fuels to last for centuries and it does absolutely no harm to the atmosphere. This message has a strong appeal to those who occupy the left side of the Bell Curve, and no one else.
LOL…..we’ve been “running out of oil” since the 1920’s
curiously, however, we keep on finding more and more of the stuff
the Soros crew wants to get in on the action of the Koch crew because they are envious of the profits…..everybody knows renewables and climate change science are a scam, especially those of us in the renewables business!!….if they don’t fess up, they’re lying because it is in their economic best interest to do so….again it’s envy
on and on we go…..same as it ever was
We have been running out of oil since the day we pumped the first barrel out of the ground. It is a FINITE resource. I used to work as a Chief Engineer on a seismograph ship where we scoured the ocean floor looking for oil. Would you like to know how much is actually out there, or is the word of a few oil billionaires with ulterior motives good enough for you? Climate change is happening due to man’s impact. Their is no debate among people of intelligence. The only debate is a what rate and how soon before we are past the point of no return.
wow u guys are lost sheep
There is a lot out there recoverable now that wasn’t economically recoverable even 10 years ago.
Not too sure about that Cheesecake. The BP rig that turned the Gulf into one big oil slick was drilling in 5,000 feet of water. They were not in that deep of water for the fun of it. The easy to get oil is gone and it has been since the 70’s. The only ones who are against renewable energy are those who make billions off the old non renewable energy that we are currently hooked on like a bunch of junkies. Follow the money.
and the right is accusing OBAMA of wanting to drive the price of oil up..think
Why not just let the polluters pollute? Why worry about tomorrow, or what kind of energy options we leave open for our children? Let them clean up our mess, we’ll be dead and buried, so why should we care? We can just use what’s cheap now, until it runs out. Then, by some miracle, a new inexpensive option will just drop out of the sky for us to use. No planning, no research, no preparation, no trial and error required.
Paul has it right. We don’t owe our kids a damned thing, except the challenge of digging themselves out of the hole we put them into.
Nagon, you forgot one thing. Let’s run up the state and national debt as high as possible, so we can live high on the hill today. Who cares if our kids are stuck paying off our debt due to our wasteful spending habits? Barack Obama is great because he is doing just that. Wooohooo!!!! Let’s party today and keep voting the DEMS in so we can get freebies today and stick the next generation with the bill.
Scared of the future? keep it in reverse.
Prior to LePage, we have been operating in reverse or as some say, “Upside Down.”
Strawberry (red) or blue?
Naran must love you! lol
It’s her roan gelding speaking for her these days. Like a Mr. Ed of sorts.
So, she’s Willlbuuur!
Got it.
I don’t know much about the cost of wind energy. I do know a bit about the cost of small scale solar electric systems. I’m a builder who supports efficiency and using PV systems to create energy independence for home owners.
I build zero energy homes. When I began learning the process in 2007 a pv system that could power a medium size home cost about 40,000 before government funded incentives. Today that same system costs about 13,000. The annual rate of price decline is around 10%. The annual rate of energy inflation is around 8% for the past 10 years.
LePage has called efficiency a ponzi scheme, climate change a hoax, and now he wants to kill renewable energy. Who voted for this guy?
If we keep burning fossil fuels our planet will cook. If we keep sending 5 billion annually out of state our energy costs are going to hold back our economy. Seems that electricity produced from the sun might be a good investment.
If you are curious as to how the rest of the industrialized world creates policy that promotes renewables check out feed-in tariff and the web site windworks.org.
How do you address China and India just starting to really use fossil fuels. Is it just the US that should act to give ourselves a non-competitve edge?
UH china REDUCED their reliance on fossil fuels they brought on a number of HUGE hydro power plants !!!
Actually China is full speed ahead. Don’t worry what others are doing. Take the lead and do whats needed.
What is the average output over the year of your $13,000 pv system in kilowatt hours? I’m interested….
Name of company I can contact?
Revision Energy Portland
Blaming is so much easier than fixing.
obama ought to take your advice
Tempest, in a tea party.
Hydro not a renewable? Yeah, this needs to be fixed.
You are one sick puppy. Gloating about the assassination of an American President
It is disturbing, like something one might expect to hear from a home grown American Taliban.
and THAT will be the insidious play on your part
of course, the TRUTH will win the day, as darkness always falls to light
what you fail to understand is that this “American Taliban” you disparage and ignorantly belittle completely surounds you and is NOT going away anytime soon
An American President put in office by a racist, predominately white, northern electorate in 1859
this supposed leader destroyed the idea of human freedom in America and replaced it with our modern, centralized version of a mercantilist slave state economy….of course he murdered 600,000 thousand Americans in the process and then claimed it was in the name of ’emancipating the slaves’
what a complete joke and a laugh, as slaves had been emancipated PEACEFULLY in almost every other nation around the globe by 1860
check your history, Lincoln was a murderer and a tyrant who used the issue of slavery for political gain and the ascension to power, nothing more
You’re right. Also seems like he is seeking attention , and in a very negative way. No one to take very seriously.
He’s such a lame duck. Can’t wait till this one is done.
I think after two hard years for everyone, we’re all now just hoping for a PPP (Paulie Pulls a Palin).
We can only hope!
ALEC is LePage’s crutch for everything. He’s a water-boy.
And George Soros is the crutch for just about every democrat. Here in Maine it would be Donald Sussman.
Tell me about the anti middle-class, anti-voter, template disgusting legislation they’re introducing nationwide like ALEC exists to do?
Anti-middle class, anti-voter? Please explain. This sounds to me like the demonizing by the left we are being repeatedly exposed to as nauseam. Please cut the nonsense and start by discussing the real issues instead of resorting to dirty politics and innuendos.
Did you just wake up there Rip Van Winkle?
People who don’t have an argument either rightly shut up or resort to name calling and demonization. Those who do the latter become dictators and smothers of the truth. I hope this is not your bag, really.
Anti-middle class: transferring the tax burden to the middle class and off the wealthy (read: Winner Take All Politics, which Snowe refers to in her farewell Oped)
Anti-voter: allowing coporations, as “persons,” unlimited “free speech” (propaganda); and also unlimited purchasing of election commericals (e.g. Citizens vs. United, Supreme Court ruling, 5-4)
and then there were all the effort to directly suppress the vote : No same day registrtaion, requiring an ID ,fewer days for early voting accusation of “voter fraud “— all unfounded and NOT substantiated by ANY facts . It’s why they lost . And heck they are even ADMITTING now— they WANTED to create long lines and HOPED people would be discouraged and just “go home”. Ticking off voters isn’t a sound startegy, .IF you want to win.and ISN”T the democracy that people want .
There was no effort to suppress the vote as you stated. This is just utter nonsense. Efforts to restrict same day voter registration and require ID’s in order to vote are intended to ensure fair elections. But a visiting alien would never know otherwise what with all the liberal false propaganda floating around.
Also, I would like to know who ‘WANTED to create long lines and HOPED people would be discouraged and just “go home”‘ This certainly does not represent the very large majority of concerned citizens like myself who support clean and fair elections. Using that label to scare voters is pure propaganda. It’s the usual tactic many liberals use in addition to demonizing and calling the opposition names. It’s dirty politics as usual. Truth and reason is not important to them.
“IRS figures show the top 1 percent of earners take home 16.9 percent of the nation’s total income, but pay 36.7 percent of the nation’s income taxes. The top 5 percent take home a little more than 31 percent of the total income but pay almost 59 percent of total taxes. And finally, the top 10 percent take home a little over 43 percent of the total income, but pay more than 70 percent of all income taxes.” – Jim Angle
How much more of the tax burden do the wealthy have to carry? Also, I find it strange that you should suggest conservatives or ALEC or the governor want to transfer the tax burden to the middle class when Obama wants to extend Bush’s tax relief to everyone except the wealthy, thus effectively raising taxes on the wealthy. Anyway, the tax burden in Maine is not, and I repeat, is not being transferred to the middle class. Rather, taxes in Maine are being cut across the board. And so is government spending so that folks like us can have more money to spend and invest.
Tell me, what is more “anti-voter”, allowing corporations to spend campaign money without limit, or allowing unions the same right? If you consider the right to spend unlimited amounts for campaign purposes deplorable, then surely conservatives and liberals are equally guilty. Corporate spending in this regard does not seem to favor conservatives over liberals, and vise versa, liberals over conservatives. But union spending is skewed towards the liberals.
One more thing: Corporations and unions do not enjoy “unlimited free speech” or the ability to spend unlimited amounts of money on campaign commercials. Take a look at this web link under the heading “Federal contribution limits” to see who can use money for campaign purposes and how much they are allowed to spend for that purpose:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_finance_in_the_United_States
I notice you didn’t deny Pipedown’s statement about ALEC and LePage.
Trying to change the subject doesn’t change the truth about LePage, ALEC, and MHPC. These guys think if they repeat the same lies often enough, people will start to believe them. More at http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/11/25/politics/climate-skeptics-target-state-energy-laws-including-maines/
and http://www.mainepolicy.org/2012/09/release-renewable-energy-law-forces-higher-electricity-rates-job-losses/
Actually the group you need to pay attention to is the “Progressive States Network.” They write Progressive legislation quite the same way that ALEC does. All perfectly legitimate just not as much publicity from the leftist media.
http://www.progressivestates.org/
The Progressive States Network . . . a bunch of “do-gooders” trying to do good. Oooh, that’s scary.
ALEC . . . a bunch of ugly old rich white men trying to get richer by changing laws (the 99% be dammed) in their favor. That IS scary.
There is a financial interest by the other side also. Are they still do-gooders?
just because the other side is rich also; doesn’t mean they are promoting financial self interest . A significant amount of soros money in the recent past was spent to OPPOSE voter suppression laws, for example. It is HOW you spend your money that matters..
Addelson that casino mogul who spent billions,on this election Spent biliions because he violated US law and bribed Chinese officials to buid the biggest casino in the world. He doesn’t want to go to jail . He hoped to buy enough seats in congress to change ONE law to get a “get out of jail for free card “
Sure they do….every time a corporation or non-profit or a charity makes a campaign contribution they do it for their own financial self interest.
Voter suppress laws, you say? You’re not talking about laws to ensure fair and clean elections like the ID requirement for voting and a restriction of same day registration? Tell me how these clean election laws will prevent citizens from voting legitimately.
The charge conservatives are trying to suppress voting is just blatantly false and is obviously designed to scare the public. It’s as bad as the charge in the tv commercial before the last election suggesting conservatives are trying to run grandma off the cliff and the charge conservatives are racist, sexist, and against the poor.
I used to be a Democrat back in the days of John Kennedy. In fact I would have voted to elect and re-elect him had I been old enough to vote. When Ronald Reagan ran and won two consecutive terms as President I voted against him each time. I believed all the lies we were being fed by the media and the liberal left: he would undoubtedly take us to war, he would make the richer richer as the expense of the poor and the middle class, he was not well-read, he was not smart, he would ruin the country, etc. Well, the nation turned out very differently than the media and the liberal left’s portrayal of the man as a result of his leadership, and Reagan out-smarted all his detractors with all his undeniable accomplishments (took the nation out of its worse recession since the Great Depression in his first term of office and put an end to the very costly and dangerous Cold War, among other things). To tell you the truth, like all liberals I was embarrassed by and angry at his success. I thought his success if any was just a fluke. It was not until I matured sufficiently that I began to realize I had been lied to and Reagan was indeed a true patriot that did this country and the world a lot of good.
The lesson here was this: stick to the point in an argument, and when you don’t have a good argument, don’t denigrate your opponent. It’s all a matter of civility and good common sense.
Cheesecakes, do you know what ALEC actually does ?
How can one be wrong if the other isn’t ?
I didn’t say either is wrong. They both have the same functions in that they write legislation for either Conservative or Progressive legislators. Those groups are the reasons why legislation of the left or right looks the same across the United States. They are both part of the Democratic process and are legitimate organizations.
Both have been around for decades.
You are hoping you are right ; you aren’t . The difference is is in WHO benefits from the legislation . “The people” or “selfish interest “
It sounds as though you might be on the “selfish interest” side.
There are all kinds of problems with ALEC of a scary, secretive nature. Anyone can google and find out. Here are some starters:
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/7/15/alec_exposed_state_legislative_bills_drafted
http://becauseican-2old2care.blogspot.com/2011/09/alec-unethical-deceitful-deceptive.html
They both/all operate in the dark until they don’t want to.
We need to never trust the tea baggie brotherhood, a union of the lunatic fringe.
the difference is bettering society or bettering themselves personally.. The KOCH boys via ALEC and Heritage Centers and the hundreds of other organization they fund are pushing legislation that benefits THEM personally . The difference is doing your own will or the people’s will?
That is naive crap… for lack of a better word.
Besides I see plenty of people doing the “people will” that isn’t in my self interest. Am I no longer a people?
OK compare them :
ALEC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Legislative_Exchange_Council
http://www.thenation.com/article/161973/alec-exposed-koch-connection#
http://www.pfaw.org/rww-in-focus/alec-the-voice-of-corporate-special-interests-state-legislatures#Who
progressive network:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_States_Network
http://conservativehideout.com/2010/09/13/the-progressive-states-network-undermining-liberty-one-state-at-a-time/
NOTE one’s purpose seems to be promoting SELF interest the other promotes the peoples’ best interest. YUP the progressive net work promotes such subservient things as OMG —PAID sick leave ( which helps “the people”); election reform which INCREASES voter turnout ( how subserversive and socialistic is that?) : REDUCING the cost of prescription drugs ( to help consumers, AKA ” the people”) corporate transparency in government–YUP revealing who is lobbying whom ; GREEN buildings , which use LESS energy OMG NO!!: and finally predatory loan reform — again OMG NO!!!
Go ahead show me how there is any self interest or personal benefit to any of that progressive “agenda”
Oh you sound so young.
Am, I not a “people” These folks aren’t working in my interest.
they are ; you just don’t know it (or can’t acknowledge it).. So why would higher drug prices be in YOUR best interest? or corporate secrecy , or supressing the vote
Thank you for this research and taking the time to analyze. Great stuff! Keep it for further reference. The person you’re arguing with simply comes here to whine, bully, and abuse–and usually skulks around in the shadow long after most people have stopped reading the forum.
the difference is Soros doesn’t use his money to try to pass legislation that personally benefit himself.—— Koch,, Addelson , etc do. See the difference?? One is BUYING votes ; the other is protecting democracy .
I have a bridge that I would like to sell to you.
how much??
Don’t forget big labor which owns Maine’s democrats.
Considering union membership of a piddling 10%, or so, of the nation’s workers, “big labor” is as obvious an oxymoron as “compassion conservatism.”
people support those who support them. When R’s support increasing the minimum wage, safe working conditions etc . then UNIONs will support them with their $$$. One has to EARN support.
Are you trying to deny that Maine has high energy prices? Why don’t you try talking to someone who lives in another state and check how much they are paying? Many companies have left Maine or never come to Maine because of the high electricity prices. Angus King made it so that a certain percentage of our energy has to come from renewable energy before he left office as Governor. After Angus left the office, he went into the wind energy, how convenient. He made millions from the Naive Mainers. LePage is bringing this issue to the table, and all the haters do is tear him down. Obama said under his administration, energy prices will sky rocket. Climate regulation is a joke, it is only a way for people like Al Gore and Angus King to get rich, off the ignorant people. THey are not scientists, they are con men. Notice there is no author listed on this propaganda piece from the BDN, just “staff and wire reports.” Just keep falling for the propaganda you fools. I guess you like the high energy prices. Well, they will keep coming, just wait.
The VAST MAJORITY of states have renewable energy standards, not just the ones Angus King was governor of. http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=4850
Anyone with an eye to the future can see that developing renewable energy sources — even at the cost of temporary subsidies — is a good idea. For Maine to sit back and do nothing while other states develop renewables doesn’t seem like a good idea.
Big oil never received any subsidies, of course not. And that’s not counting the wars we’ve had to fight because of our dependence on oil, either.
Heck, I’d pay $5.00 more a month on my electrical bill just to agitate the Koch Brothers. It would be well worth it.
I have no problem with using renewable energy, but instead of piddling around with wind or tidal energy which does not have a great return on investment, we really should focus on the great number of rivers we have in Maine and utilize hydroelectric energy to its fullest. We could easily supply this entire state with renewable energy if we would use dams…but of course we care more about fish than we do about stopping our reliance on coal and oil, so that is not an option now is it. There has to be a give and take. If you want to stop relying on fossil fuels for energy, then something has to give, and maybe a fish or two may be lost in the process. We have the ability to have some of the lowest cost energy in the nation, but we refuse because for whatever reason the tree huggers want clean energy that doesn’t impact anything…good luck making any significant changes in our energy production with that mentality.
It’s not like the wind farms do not have an impact on the environment. They are noisy, expensive and ugly.
Did you even read my comment?
I wonder why Maine is demolishing its hydroelectric dams if renewable energy is what we are all about? Oh, I know, Angus King wants to build some wind power farms and make millions off of Maine taxpayers, now I get it.
Seriously, what’s your education level?
Shh-we aren’t supposed to figure out that he’s one of the “easy” ones Lepage manipulated, in order to get elected.
Oh sure, democrats never use mind tricks, lies, scare tactics, and manipulation to win elections…
Obviously you are one of the “easy” ones that Obama manipulated.
I suspect mainelegals’ thinking was well established long before Obama came on the scene.
It’s okay to disagree with not4us but it is not okay to personally attack him/her. Democrats really and truly and bullies and that goes for mainegal17 who posted her approval of this idiotic response.
Get over yourself. I asked him a question. That’s not a personal attack so cut the BS. Good grief.
we have HIGH electric prices because we were foolish enough to go nuclear . We are still paying the price of that. It ends up it wasn’t “too cheap to meter” and they lied to us.
yeah yeah yeah— high energy costs , high taxes, high health care costs … anything else???
No, Lepage is only acting in accordance to the free market system he believes should prevail. I concur. Why should Mainers be made to pay for high costs of energy sources, such as, highly dispersed solar and wind energy, that can even come close to competing with other sources of energy like natural gas, wood pellets, hydro power, and nuclear plants.
Since you obviously disagree with LePage’s stand against renewable energy mandates, please tell me why. Then we can have an intelligent discussion. Whether LePage is simply being a water boy for ALEC is not the issue here as you and this newspaper are obviously trying to make it. Mainers want jobs and a good standard of living, not self-serving politics as usual.
Why, for the simple fact that non renewable sources are not viable forms of energy. They are just temporary sources, we will eventually need to go to renewable.
ALEC provide cookie cutter legislation. to all the R Gov’s . It means they don’t have to work for a living or even think. or problem solve. ALEC does all the work FOR them Prewritten legslation delivered to their door.. to promote a NATIONAL strategy via the states, not a state focused one. They couldn’t deliver the agenda on the national level,. so they have a state level strategy, instead. The problem is they LOST , at least 5 state houses and governorships in this last election .
Paulie is a dumb ALEC
Simpleton
Dear Paul, please go to Florida for the winter as you have become a nuisance..
Hey Paul, We got some people say their from the World Bank. Must be some kinda socialists. Want to talk to them?
Humans must immediately implement a series of radical measures to
halt carbon emissions or prepare for the collapse of entire ecosystems
and the displacement, suffering and death of hundreds of millions of the
globe’s inhabitants, according to a report commissioned by the World
Bank. The continued failure to respond aggressively to climate change,
the report warns, will mean that the planet will inevitably warm by at
least 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the
century, ushering in an apocalypse.
“Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must Be Avoided,” was
written for the World Bank by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact
Research and Climate Analytics and published last week.
The World Bank part 2
The political and corporate elites in the industrialized world continue,
in spite of overwhelming scientific data, to place short-term corporate
profit and expediency before the protection of human life and the
ecosystem. The fossil fuel industry is permitted to determine our
relationship to the natural world, dooming future generations. Carbon
dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas, increased from its pre-industrial concentration of about 278 parts per million (ppm) to more than 391 ppm in September 2012, with the rate of rise now at 1.8 ppm per year. We have already passed the tipping point of 350 ppm; above that level, life as we have known it cannot be sustained. The CO2 concentration is higher now than at any time in the last 15 million years. The emissions of CO2, currently about 35 billion metric tons per year, are projected to climb to 41 billion metric tons per year by 2020.
I continue to blame LePage for not making any progress for the state like his own personal agenda
Whew… Another opportunity to open “Surplus and Salvage” power plant!
Stop serving the Koch brothers and start serving the voters. Even better, resign, you are an ineffective lame duck disliked by the majority of the voters in the state.
Fake “studies” from right wing “think” (sic) tanks.
With Fake Conclusions.
Parroted by a Fake Governor.
Yessah
WHere on earth do you get your news?
The Bangor Daily News
Yessah
We cant afford the King”s wind power at 0.35 per kwhr
The govenor has his facts straight!!
Where is the toggle that says “flag” the sick puppy?
How clever the Progressives think they are. They rail against the Koch brothers, but even the BDN will not own this article..’BDN staff and wire reports’.. what staff.. which wire reports. Can we have their phone #’s ???
The only thing LiarPage can do is parrot the talking points from the Koch brother’s when asked specifics he referred questions to the MHPC, and ALEC. ROFL!!!!
Here is how electricity is priced in Maine (standard offer) – this is called the “stack”:
Day-Ahead and Real-Time Markets are run to coordinate the commitment and dispatch of generation and demand resources and facilitate electric energy trading. Power plant offers to sell electricity are ranked by price. One by one, the lowest priced plants are selected, accounting for transmission constraints and potential outages, until enough supply is committed to meet demand. The last plant chosen sets the wholesale “clearing” price. All producers that offer their resources at or below the clearing price are scheduled to operate and earn the clearing price for their production. Those that offer too high are not selected to run, creating a built-in incentive not to overbid. Having a Day-Ahead Market allows market participants to secure prices the day before the operating day and hedge against price fluctuations that can occur in real time.
Source: http://www.iso-ne.com/img/wem.pdf
Think of the “stack” as a measuring cup. The last bit of supply that fills the cup is the one that sets the price for all the previous bits added below – even if the bid price below was zero.
By law, 35% of electricity sold in Maine has to come from renewable sources (wind, hydro, solar, tidal, biomass, etc.). This is called the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). Excepting wind farms, in order to qualify for the RPS, these generation plants cannot be larger than 100MW (the largest hydroelectric plant in Maine is rated at 73MW).
The other 65% can come from any source and/or size. There are no laws prohibiting HydroQuébec (HQ) from selling its electricity in Maine – it’s just that if that power comes from a dam rated larger than 100MW, such power cannot be counted as part of the RPS.
Of interest is that after hydroelectric dams are paid off, the generate power for essentially nothing. If HQ had the capacity to supply the 65% of Maine’s needs, it could do so at a cost of pennies to Mainers – read how the “stack” pricing works above.
“By law, 35% of electricity sold in Maine has to come from renewable sources ” That is what he is talking about, everyone has to pay for what only some want. There is already a way to buy “renewable” if you want!
I don’t want to subsidize windmills in my state taxes like I do with Federal taxes… DO YOU???
Paul,
These guys in the press really hate your guts. You are going to have to find a way to go straight to the people or the democrat, it’s party, and it’s allies in the press are going to do to you what the Webster gang did to Ron Paul.
Bring it on. Go straight to the people and try to sell denial. Seems to me that the guys in the press are simply presenting the facts. Facts are what just lost the GOP an election. Facts are the hedge against the extremist tea party agenda.
The fact is that the low fruit is still conservation. Following that is reducing peak demand. Short term, it looks like natural gas has potential. Long term, the only viable option is renewables. Just go to any Maine lake and read the signs warning pregnant women to not eat the fish because of mercury contamination. The science of climate change is saying that the predictions are much worse than believed.
Lepage’s problem is it’s getting harder for him to sell crazy and he’s a lousy salesman.
No, what cost the R’s the seats of power is that they still can’t understand that 47% of Mainers do not want to work or be free. They do not understand that the other 53% is comprised of groups that will come together but not for swishy washy maybes.
As long as the Republicans continue to compromise, they will loose more and more of the 53. The democrat and it’s party will not pick that 53% up, but will continue to solidify the support of the freeloaders, the shiftless, and those moral less females that find it more important to have free abortions than freedom. With no small amount of help from idiots that continue to send their kids to the public schools, the indoctrination centers of the democrat, it’s minions and it’s ilk.
What amazes me the most is the ignorance of the followers of obama and the democrat, who cannot silently sit by and smirk after their colossal win, but instead must spout ridiculous rhetoric.
The Christ, the Lord God of Creation, Christ Jesus has told us before hand how we are to deal with the fools of today, He has said: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
If the state of Maine does not secede, and I am therefore forced to live in this repeat of the times of Nero, I will, with a full and complete understanding of just what is meant by the title “Caesar”, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
I flagged that due to it’s disrespectful nature towards women, and the less fortunate in this world.
You are not a christian in the full sense of the word.
Show me Scripture to support you contention or apologize like a man.
You live in a little world. You use the bible to back statements that are hateful and ignorant. If you don’t like Maine or it’s people why don’t you leave. If you can’t afford to pay bus fair I’ll donate..
Mike, Mike, Mike, I had thought that all these years would have matured you a bit, I’m afraid and sorry that I was wrong, you have not changed, you ahve not matured and you are still the ignorant, baby killer I knew years ago.
This is a good example of the 2{two} maines,the southern and northern parts.The difference in fuel prices and electric bills must mean the gov.and lawmakers have differnt rules and laws for each part too bad the prices couldnt be more in line with the southern part of the state
Ridiculous. Delivery of fuel in rural areas is greater distance then southern Maine communities. How is it that you blame the gov. and lawmakers for this? Yes it would be nice to have southern Maine prices up North, But reality says that is a fantasy.
One big problem with Mr. LePage’s argument is its short-sightedness. Rolling back environmental initiatives will not in actuality create better market conditions, but ensure the market dominance of fossil fuels at a time when we should be (and are) working to promote a market where more environmentally balanced energy options are in demand and consequently, more affordable. The approach that Mr. LePage supports is based not on sound long-term economic strategy, but on knee-jerk reactive, short-term and partisan political views likely enriched by the deep and dark pockets of lobbyists working for the petroleum industry. Our governor should educate himself less in party politics and more on the true economics of sustainable business practice. To do so is just plain-old good business.
Funded by the Koch brothers, say no more.
so then you best nit pik of the wealthy liberals and 3/4 of Hollywood. It works Both ways.
Referring to the Koch brothers, the billionaires who put up millions assaulting American democracy, isn’t nitpicking. They are to American democracy what one particular iceberg was to the Titanic.
You might consider researching the disproportionate amount of money that Geroge Soros gives to the left by comparison to the Kochs.
His duck is already lame…..
Oil and Gas money continues to fund these ultra right wing crazies. Seems these people are Hell-bent on destroying the planet.
Why doesn’t the buffoon stop blaming and start doing?
Perhaps because he doesn’t know how to do, just how to destroy.
Maine must have the wind power at $ 0.35 and tidal power at $0.53 per kwhr to remain the most cost prohibitive state …
Another example of the miguided headlines from the BDN
Hess gas station, brockton, $3.28 a gallon.
Middleboro convenience, $3.28 a gallon
presque isle.$3.76 caribou $3.76 per gallon
Yet, every one drives a pickup truck up there because everyone drives a pickup truck ,that gets a couple of miles to the gallon.
Good luck trying to make a profit shipping gas from Brockton, Ma.to Skowhegan,Me. at $0.30 a gallon mark up.
I am an official Cape Cod resident on Jan1st….saving money filling up down here so i dont get ripped-off up in maine, on the moving trips back and forth
Still you get my point. It cost money to move things from Mass to rural Maine. That just one reason we need to make our own energy here in Maine when ever we can.
Companies like CMP can still screw over people who buy their electricity from a Maine company. Just because you buy and send your electricity payments to a local Maine electricity company, companies like CMP are still part of the payment process.
Incidentally,CC temperatures in the winter months seldom goes lower than freezing/26degrees,,often 40s to 50s in the daytimes. A single tank of oil lasts a year to over a year
Are you filling up down there? Sounds expensive.
If it’s good for Maine Lepage hates it, but if it’s good for Canada or Walls st, he loves it.
You don’t even have to read any of Lepage’s speeches to know how he will come down on any issue.
No by-line as usual, comments in the article seem less than objective, in fact very biased….
Biased toward the truth.
The U.S. has fought three wars since 1991 to keep supply lines open for the trans-national oil companies at tremendous cost to the American people in treasure and blood.
That’s a subsidy I’d like to see end.
“We just left it out so we could provide the actual analysis of the policy itself,” Head said,” So basically they “cooked” the numbers and called it “research”.
I hope ALEC next step is to go after the OIL speculators, after all ,THAT is REAL:LY why the price of energy is so high.. The price of a barrell of oil continues to fall It is around $80 a barrell right now which would suggest a gal of oil should be NO more then $2.00 a gal !! Insteaed it is well over 3.00 agal Anyone seeing any $2.00 gal oil out there??
IF LePage Or ALEC REALLY care about the cost of energy ‘oils speulators” is where their focus should be. They are totally manipulating the price of all . Throwing that “free market ” that the right espouses on it”s little elbow.!
But then that would bite into the papas koch’s profits and they HATE competition from the greenies.
LaPlague is just dancing to ALEC and MHPC’s music. It’s obvious who he represents and it’s not the people of the great State of Maine.
That is clearly why LePage has the honor of being known as the “Worst” Governor ever to be elected in Maine history to date. He is a shame to the Office of Governor, but the Koch Brothers will make him very wealthy when he leave office so he does not care what the people of Maine think about him, sad.
I bet he doesn’t stay in Maine a year after he loses the Blaine House..
I’m betting 2 days. One day to shred all correspondence with all special interest groups and one day to figure out where he put the mural.
he didn’t expect to win ; he didn’t have a plan ; the vultures showed up at the door ; and he let them in..
BDN article stateselectric rates due to fall next March, 4% CMP 3% Bangor Hydro 3% PUC Chairman Nov 8,2012. BDN. What do we believe?
Electric rates are due to fall next March. 4% CMP and 3% Bangor Hydro PUC BDN Chairman Nov 8,2012
Nothing constructive – just blame. A man who shares ALEC’s decision that Global Warming is fiction. So what can you expect?
The most wasted governorship – ever.
Two year’s from now – the governor to be – better be pledging to work for the state – not the Koch Tea Party clan.
We need to find someone with a natural desire to serve the state and its people. Someone not locked into a national policy funded by selfish billionaires. A man, a woman, someone anxious to improve the Maine way of life – not ruin it.
Such a governor will respect the will of the people and activate bonds the citizens have voted upon. He or she will not be damning and condemning workers, teachers, fire fighters, students and everyone else who lives here.
The governor, whomever she, or he may be, must also pledge to voters, as part of their platform, she or he will restore the Labor Mural and take down that sign this man pasted on the highway.
The next two years should give the media ample time to unearth suitable candidates who are free of Tea Party taint, and crass Republicanism.
A governor needs to be able to make decisions and statements based on input from multiple sources representing multiple points of view. Our governor’s sole source of input is MHPC/Alec and he turns a deaf ear to anyone else’s voice. A familiar computer acronym comes to mind: GIGO – garbage in, garbage out. This is so appropriately descriptive of LePage.
we need to be more like alaska especially with hydro power, no one owns the water we all do, and we deserve a cut from every hydro plant in maine, wind is no different.
lepage is basing his opinion and policy on an oil industy produced “study” ..Maybe they don’t want any competition?? HELLO!!!
OK let’s do some arithmetic. The nice Koch people say it’s going to cost Oregon $992 M over a 12 year period to have 25% renewable energy. Oregon’s population is about 3.8 M. That gives you about $20 per year per person to have renewable energy. And that’s going to ruin our state’s economy? Come on folks. I’m pretty sure Koch is interested in Koch’s economy not Maine’s.