Senator Saviello, Representative Welsh, and distinguished members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. My name is Pete Didisheim and I am the Advocacy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in opposition to LD 595 NRCM opposes this legislation because Maine already has a Read More
Maine Legislature
The Natural Resources Council of Maine reviews every bill being considered by the Maine Legislature to determine which ones deserve support and which ones should be opposed based on their potential impact on Maine’s environment. Read more about the bills we are following and taking action on.
Maine’s Public Lands Transcend Their Revenue Value
Gov. LePage’s proposed timber harvest breaks land management tradition and treats the woods as a resource to be mined. By The Editorial Board Portland Press Herald editorial Maine’s 17 million-plus acres of forest have long been a source of industry. The wood became the ships of one era, the paper of another, and continues to Read More
Maine Lawmakers Hear Opposing Arguments on Bills to Charge for Disposable Bags
Supporters of three similar proposals say they reduce waste and pollution, while opponents say they add a burden on consumers and retailers. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — Lawmakers heard lengthy testimony Monday on bills that would make Maine the latest state to charge consumers for disposable plastic bags. Read More
Putting the Value of Solar in Real Terms
So the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) did a study that concluded the “value of solar” is 33.7 cents/kwh. (The study was done in response to legislation last year that NRCM developed and led the passage of.) What in the world does that mean? Is that what solar is worth? What it costs? How does that Read More
Project to Conserve Maine State House Backdrop in Limbo
Funding already approved for Augusta’s Howard Hill and other projects is in question as Gov. Paul LePage threatens to withhold Land for Maine’s Future bonds. By Michael Shepherd, Staff Writer Kennebec Journal news story AUGUSTA — A project that would preserve the wooded backdrop to the Maine State House has a problem in the Maine Read More
A Done Deal Gets Undone by PUC Efficiency Vote
The governor’s policy agenda is what drove the decision, not a missing word. By The Editorial Board Portland Press Herald editorial Let’s be clear: This is not about a missing word. When the Maine Public Utilities Commission voted 2-1 last week to slash a scheduled increase in the budget for energy-efficiency projects, the commissioners were Read More
Public Land Becomes Epicenter in State Fight
Critics of the governor’s intent to increase timber harvesting and divert its revenues worry about a shift in how forests are managed. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Nestled between Moosehead Lake and Baxter State Park are 44,000 acres of state-owned land where hikers roam Maine’s largest roadless backcountry and fishermen Read More
Lawmakers Should Fix the Missing ‘And’ So Energy Efficiency Work is Not Cut Back
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial At $12 million per letter, a missing “and” in a state law has proven an expensive error now that the state Public Utilities Commission used inadvertently flawed statutory language to cut funding for Maine’s energy efficiency work by $36 million. The PUC earlier this week took Read More
Top House Republican Says He’d Work to Restore $38 Million to Efficiency Maine
Rep. Kenneth Fredette, a leading advocate for a 2013 energy law, agrees that a drafting error likely led to the PUC vote to cut funding and calls criticism of the agency unfair. By Steve Mistler. Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — House Minority Leader Kenneth Fredette, R-Newport, said Thursday that he is Read More
