WCSH-6 TV news story AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Business owners and energy experts gathered in Augusta Monday in the hopes of getting lawmakers to fix the omission of one little word that could reduce state funding to Efficiency Maine by $38 million. The bill, passed in 2013, was intended to provide money to Efficiency Read More
renewable energy
Mistake in Law Could Cost Mainers Millions
By Nakell Williams WABI-TV news story A typo left the word “and” out of a piece of legislation and that mistake could end up costing Mainers millions in higher energy bills. “It’s completely an accidental typographical error, but it’s now the law and so the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) made this decision based on their Read More
Mistake in Efficiency Law Will Cost Mainers $250 Million in Higher Energy Bills if Not Corrected Swiftly
Hundreds of Energy Jobs Also at Risk NRCM news release Augusta, ME —Businesses and energy experts gathered today to inform Mainers that a one-word typographical error in the omnibus energy law passed in 2013 will cost Maine energy consumers $250 million if not corrected by the Legislature or the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The missing Read More
University Study Suggests Support for Energy Efficiency
By Jennifer Mitchell MPBN news story ORONO, Maine — More than half of Mainers surveyed say they would be willing to pay extra in their electricity bills to support more efficient and/or cleaner fuel development. The University of Maine study sampled a random group of more than 400 Mainers. Each respondent on the mail-in survey was Read More
Lamey-Wellehan President Jim Wellehan Creates a Legacy of Advocacy and Fairness
by Dylan Martin MaineBiz news story Ask Jim Wellehan what it means to be a business leader, and for his initial response, you likely won’t hear him mention Lamey-Wellehan, his 100-year-old, Auburn-based family retail shoe business. Instead, he’ll bring up a word that means a great deal to him: community. “I love my community. I 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
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
Two Maine Nonprofits Unveil Solar-power Systems
The system installed at Wells Reserve at Laudholm is expected to provide all of the research facility’s electricity needs while Maine Audubon’s new system will meet 80 percent of the needs at its Falmouth headquarters. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Two Maine conservation organizations marked spring’s arrival Friday by unveiling 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