The governor’s veto is narrowly sustained amid warnings that L.D. 1504 would raise electricity prices, leaving a plan to phase out financial inducements for rooftop panels in effect. by Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The Legislature heeded warnings from Maine’s largest utility company about higher electric rates Wednesday and narrowly sustained Read More
Maine Legislature Fails to Override LePage Solar Veto
Major loss for solar power, jobs, and Maine electricity customers NRCM news release Today, the Maine House of Representatives voted to sustain Governor LePage’s veto of the solar bill, despite the fact that the bill passed the House and Senate initially by more than a two-thirds super majority. Seven Republican legislators changed their position from Read More
Solar Proposal Remains the Best Path Forward for Maine
Legislators should override the veto of a bill that would benefit utilities, consumers and the solar industry. by the Portland Press Herald Editorial Board The solar energy bill that lawmakers will vote on Wednesday is the same one they passed by wide margins in June – 105-41 in the House and 29-6 in the Senate. Read More
Let Solar Energy Empower Ratepayers, Not Utility
Central Maine Power is using distorted figures to scare the public into opposing L.D. 1504. by Senator Tom Saviello, fourth-term Republican state senator from Wilton and chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee Portland Press Herald op-ed AUGUSTA — In the last few months you have heard all about my solar bill, L.D. 1504, Read More
Lawmakers Need to Override LePage Veto to Avert Disastrous Solar Rules
By Vaughan Woodruff, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed This week, legislators will decide whether to override the governor’s veto of LD 1504, an extremely modest bill that aims to remove a uniformly disliked provision of new solar rules slated to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2018. While solar policy discussions in Read More
My Maine This Week: Rebecca Hewitt
“This photo was taken at Crystal Lake in Gray, Maine, right before I jumped in to swim at 5:00 a.m.” Photo by Rebecca Hewitt of New Gloucester, Maine Rebecca submitted this photo via her smartphone. You can send us your beautiful photos of Maine with the click of a button – just email your photo to us, caption Read More
In Maine, a National Monument May be in Peril
By David Abel, Globe Staff Boston Globe, news story PATTEN, Maine — Yellow signs blaring “National Park No!” greet Tim Hudson as his truck nears Katahdin Loop Road on a recent morning. He chooses to ignore them. On any given day, Hudson restocks the toilet paper in outhouses, empties the trash, and when necessary, wields Read More
It’s Time Zinke Let Us Know What He, Trump Have in Mind for Katahdin Monument
By BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial Last Friday, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said he has removed Canyons of the Ancients from the list of 27 national monuments he had been asked to consider for modification or nullification by President Donald Trump. Zinke said he was recommending that no changes be made to the Read More
Don’t Muddy Clean Water Act Protections
Guest Column by Lee Margolin Keep Maine Current op-ed Beer, fish and lamprey. These are a few of my favorite things and they all depend on clean water. Luckily I am able to enjoy all three living in Harrison on the Crooked River, a class AA stream and the main tributary for Sebago Lake. As Read More
