NRCM news release Statement of Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine The House voted 138-1 to pass LD 1215, the one-word bill to correct a typo in the omnibus energy bill passed last session, in order to prevent a major cut to energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses. “This year Read More
Efficiency Maine
LePage’s Intransigence Threatens Key Efficiency Maine Programs
Rather than support a quick fix of a typo, he and Republican House Leader Ken Fredette are trying to use a manufactured crisis to increase the governor’s power. By Mike Tipping Portland Press Herald column Gov. Paul LePage and Republican House Leader Ken Fredette have proved once again that they can’t be trusted. You might remember Read More
Groups Petition PUC to Reconsider Decision on Missing “And” in Energy Bill
Maine Public news story AUGUSTA, Maine – Several environmental groups are petitioning state utility regulators to reconsider their ruling on the effect of one missing word – “and” – in the state’s omnibus energy bill. Last month in a case involving the missing word, the Maine Public Utilities Commission ruled 2 to 1 in favor Read More
Environmentalists, Contractors Ask Maine Regulators to Redo Efficiency Cap Ruling
By Darren Fishell, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story PORTLAND, Maine — Two conservation groups and a building contractors association have petitioned the state’s utilities regulators to reconsider a decision to set a cap on state energy efficiency funding at the the lower of two possible levels. The 2-1 decision hinged on the absence Read More
CLF, NRCM, MABEP Petition PUC to Reverse Decision to Cut Energy Efficiency
Chance for PUC to Undo its Plan to Ignore & Subvert Legislative Intent News release Augusta, ME – Today the Conservation Law Foundation, the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and the Maine Association of Building Efficiency Professionals filed a motion with the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to “reconsider” its recent Order that would dramatically Read More
Maine Lawmakers Hear Proposals to Return Missing ‘and’ to Energy Law
by Scott Thistle, State Politics Editor Sun Journal news story AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers Wednesday took the first steps toward fixing what’s become known as a $38 million typographical error in a law that funds the state’s energy-efficiency programs. But looming over any potential fix is the less-than-subtle hint that Republican Gov. Paul LePage will Read More
Legislators Meet to Fix Efficiency Maine Funding
WCSH-6 TV news story AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — The Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee heard testimony Wednesday on two competing bills that would restore funding to Efficiency Maine. The word “and” was left out of the 2013 law in a drafting error. That error allowed regulators to slash $38 million dollars for energy efficiency Read More
Withholding Bonds an Attack on Maine’s Democracy
By Ann-Marie Mastraccio, William Noon, and Patricia Hymanson Seacoast Online news story In 2010 and 2012, Mainers voted to approve over $14 million in bonds to fund projects by the Land for Maine’s Future program. These projects involve nearly 50,000 acres of conservation land used for recreation, agriculture, water access and wildlife preservation across the Read More
Car Dealers Have Integrity Where Lawmakers Don’t
By Adam Lee, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Last year, my employees shook more than 10,000 hands with the words, “thank you, we have a deal.” Typically this is followed by a lot of paperwork, but the handshake seals the deal. If on the original copy of the paperwork there is one Read More
