by James McCarthy Mainebiz news story Gov. Paul R. LePage issued an executive order Wednesday putting the brakes on the state’s permitting of new onshore wind projects. In doing so, he’s renewed the longstanding debate over whether there’s greater value in Maine’s scenic mountains for tourism than for wind energy. His order also created the Read More
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LePage Moves to Block Most New Maine Wind Energy Permits
By Christopher Cousins and Michael Shepherd, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage on Wednesday placed a moratorium on permits for most new wind turbines in Maine, a move that could reverberate regionally a day before Massachusetts is set to announce winners in a massive clean power procurement plan. Read More
LePage Blocks New Wind Energy Projects, Creates Secretive Commission to Study Impacts
The longtime critic of wind energy says he’s acting ‘to protect our natural beauty,’ and allows the new panel to craft regulatory changes without public scrutiny. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage imposed a moratorium Wednesday on new wind energy projects in western and coastal Maine Read More
NRCM Statement on LePage Wind Power Moratorium and Secret Panel
Statement by NRCM Climate and Clean Energy Director Dylan Voorhees “Today, Governor LePage told clean energy investors that Maine is ‘Not Open for Business.’ LePage placed an open-ended unilateral moratorium on development of wind power in Maine. LePage created a secret panel with enormous power to prevent wind power from being developed in Maine. He Read More
Regulators Delay Power Contract Essential to UMaine Floating Wind Farm
The Public Utilities Commission decides to reopen terms of the 2013 contract between Aqua Ventus and CMP because of changing energy markets. by Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Long-running efforts to secure a power contract for the first floating wind farm in the United States suffered a setback Tuesday when the Read More
Final Tax Bill Includes Damaging Provision to Drill for Oil in the Arctic
Statement of Lisa Pohlmann, Executive Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine “We are deeply disappointed in Senator Susan Collins’ vote for the final tax bill, which overturns decades of protection from oil drilling in the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). This vote betrays the will of the majority of Mainers, and reverses Senator Collins’ Read More
Opposition to LD 1262, An Act To Protect Monhegan Island by Limiting Wind Turbines
Senator David Woodsome, Chair Representative Seth Berry, Chair Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities & Technology My name is Dylan Voorhees and I am the Clean Energy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). Thank you for allowing us to present this testimony. NRCM opposes this legislation because it would effectively ban an Read More
A Subsidy Maine Electric Customers Pay to Encourage Renewable Energy Up for Review
Lawmakers will consider two bills that seek to address deficiencies in the Renewable Portfolio Standard, which even advocates admit isn’t working as intended. by Tux Turkel, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story A multimillion-dollar subsidy that Maine electric customers pay to encourage the use of renewable power is up for review in the Legislature Read More
Wind Power Foes: Don’t Ruin Maine’s Beauty to Feed “Green Energy” Demands
Although wind energy is supported by many environmentalists, those who oppose development in the Moosehead region feel the reality of wind power would mean no real reduction in Maine By Darren Fishell, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story PORTLAND, Maine — Wind power opponents near Moosehead Lake are worried that Massachusetts interests are going Read More
