Thursday’s ruling is a blow to solar advocates who have fought the new rule that reduces credits to homeowners. By Megan Doyle, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has dismissed a legal challenge to a controversial new solar energy rule, saying the dispute should go to a lower court Read More
State House Watch
Ignoring Climate Change Puts Mainers in Danger
Politics has stifled research that would have helped the state prepare for a warming planet. Central Maine Newspapers editorial Policy driven by research works better than science driven by politics. Witness Maine, which experienced a historic explosion in its tick population, and not coincidentally, a 20-fold increase in Lyme disease diagnoses between 2000 and 2016 Read More
Maine Shouldn’t Go Backward on Ozone Regulations
Bangor Daily News editorial Ozone is harmful, sometimes deadly, pollutant. Maine has worked with 11 other states to our west and south to successfully reduce ozone levels. But the pollutant remains problematic, especially in the summer when the Maine Department of Environmental Protection issues warnings about high ozone levels encouraging people at risk for respiratory Read More
Judge Tosses Challenge of Order Halting Wind Turbines
by Marina Villeneuve, The Associated Press Bangor Daily News news story PORTLAND, Maine — A judge has tossed a legal challenge of Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s executive order halting wind turbine permits in parts of Maine, while leaving the door open to revisit the topic. Superior Court Justice Andrew Horton said in his decision Friday Read More
Gov. LePage Set Up Wind-Farm Review Panel to Meet in Private. Now, the Names of its Members are Secret.
The governor’s energy director says the 14 members of the advisory panel will be identified once the body is prepared to meet. by Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Gov. Paul LePage’s administration is refusing to identify the members of a public commission charged with reviewing the impact of wind farms on Read More
Maine Regulators Carry Out LePage’s Shortsighted Energy Agenda
The state needs a governor with the vision and patience to build an ocean wind industry. The Editorial Board Portland Press Herald editorial It’s too soon to know the identity of Maine’s next governor, but the one we’ve got now just gave us all a good reminder of why we need a change. The three Read More
Regulator Deals Blow to UMaine Offshore Wind Project
by Bill Trotter, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story In a move seen as a major setback for a pilot offshore wind project under development by the University of Maine, state regulators voted Tuesday to reconsider the contract terms by which Central Maine Power agreed to purchase electricity from the project. The Public Utilities Read More
LePage Administration Reneges on Offshore Wind
Says ‘no’ to thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of investment in Maine’s clean energy future. NRCM news release “The LePage Administration’s anti-wind rampage continued today with his Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) decision to renege on its offshore wind agreement. “In 2013, the global energy giant Statoil withdrew its proposal to begin building floating Read More
Environmental Issues in Maine at the State and Federal Levels
The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) closely monitors policy developments related to environmental issues in Maine and at the federal level. We actively promote policies to protect against air pollution and water pollution, ensuring clean air and clean water in Maine. We work to conserve land for public access and for healthy Maine wildlife Read More
