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In Rep. Laurel Libby’s opinion column on Feb. 19, she advocated for bringing more natural gas to Maine to produce electricity. I think this is a bad idea for several reasons. Natural gas prices are volatile. On Jan. 27, New England electricity prices spiked to their highest cost ever. The cause? A cold snap spiked natural gas prices and thus electricity costs.
Maine can produce its own power and reduce the $4.5 billion drain on our economy each year. $4.5 billion is what we send out of state each year to purchase fossil fuels. The Gulf of Maine has been called the Saudi Arabia of wind. Iowa produces over 60% of its electrical power ( highest among 50 states) from wind and the average family monthly power bill is lower than all but a handful of states.
I believe the state policy to have Maine power be sourced from 90 to 100% renewables is a good one. There are serious health implications to burning fossil fuels and serious climate issues too. An article in the same Feb. 19 issue of the BDN detailed some of those climate issues being dealt with in Hancock County.
To incentivise the needed transition to renewables a law that placed a fee on oil, coal and natural gas and then returned all that money to all Americans would go a long way toward helping Mainers afford power bills, reduce pollution and greenhouse gases. It would also reduce health issues caused by burning fossil fuels.
David Dietrich
Blue Hill