CMP’s Habit of Incomplete Filings Raise Serious Questions Statement of Sue Ely, Clean Energy Attorney, Natural Resources Council of Maine “Today, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), notified CMP that its application to build a massive 145-mile-long transmission line through Maine is still incomplete. The DEP said it cannot move forward with evaluating its Read More
PUC Won’t Decide CMP’s $950M Transmission Line Project until March
by Staff Mainebiz news story The three-member Maine Public Utilities Commission issued an order on Friday that extends its review of Central Maine Power’s $950 million New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line project into next year. In their procedural order — which follows an Oct. 26 order suspending three hearings originally scheduled to be Read More
One Big Recycling Success: Maine’s Bottle Bill
By Bonnie Washuk, Staff Writer Sun Journal news story While recycling in Maine is in the dumps with a tough market and a need for recycling education, there’s a bright spot: Maine’s 40-year-old bottle bill. The bin collecting bottles and cans is in many Maine kitchens. Mainers have been paying deposits and religiously returning cans Read More
Regulators Push CMP Corridor Decision into March
The Maine Public Utilities Commission has extended the process for deciding whether to award a permit needed for the 145-mile transmission project to move forward. Staff Report Portland Press Herald news story Regulators deciding whether Central Maine Power will get a key permit needed to build a 145-mile transmission corridor have extended their process into Read More
Congratulations to These Environmental Champions
by George Smith Bangor Daily News column Maine is blessed with many environmental leaders, and it’s nice when they are recognized. The Natural Resources Council of Maine recently honored wonderful folks from Falmouth, Georgetown, Walpole, and Brunswick. Here’s NRCM’s announcement. Augusta, ME – The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) has named its 2018 Conservation Read More
Electricity Customers Paying Through the Nose Due to New PUC Rules, Say Solar Installers
by Andy O’Brien Free Press news story A Pittsfield-based solar installer is asking the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to exempt certain solar customers from its new gross metering rules citing the high cost of installing new mandatory meters. In the PUC filing, Vaughan Woodruff, owner of Insource Renewables, argues that the PUC’s rules for Read More
Landfill Solar Panels to Cover 95 Percent of Maine Town’s Electricity Needs
By Ralph Morang, Portsmouth Herald Bangor Daily News news story ELIOT, Maine — Dark skies and cold rain Monday morning did not hinder the progress of work on Eliot’s newest solar array. Trucks poured concrete into ballasts that will support 384 345-watt photovoltaic solar panels in three ranks at the town’s former landfill next to Read More
My Maine This Week: Kristin Jackson
“This cute Northern Saw-whet Owl was hanging out on Munjoy Hill in Portland this weekend just in time for Halloween festivities. He safely flew away to a tree after this photo was taken.” Photo by NRCM staff member Kristin Jackson of Portland, Maine. Learn more about the Northern Saw-whet Owl in this Boothbay Register column, “The Invisible Owls,” by Read More
PUC Delays CMP Power Line Hearings, Per Request by NRCM, Others
CMP’s 11th Hour Filings Raise Serious Questions Statement of Sue Ely, Clean Energy Attorney, Natural Resources Council of Maine “The PUC’s decision to delay hearings on CMP’s proposed transmission line is a welcome acknowledgement that this process has been moving too fast for a thorough analysis of this massive, incredibly complex and flawed project. After months of Read More