The House voted 138-1 to approve the bill, but Gov. Paul LePage has indicated that he plans to veto it. By Steve Mistler, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — The House of Representatives gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill designed to fix a clerical error that cut $38 million from an Read More
Efficiency Maine
Efficiency Maine ‘And’ Fix Bill Sails Through House
By Christopher Cousins, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — A controversial bill to fix a typo that could be worth roughly $38 million to the Efficiency Maine Trust sailed through the House of Representatives Wednesday on a 138-1 vote. Assistant House Majority Leader Sara Gideon’s bill, LD 1215, which inserts the Read More
Maine House Votes 138-1 to Pass One-word Bill to Correct Typo in Energy Efficiency Law
NRCM news release Statement of Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine The House voted 138-1 to pass LD 1215, the one-word bill to correct a typo in the omnibus energy bill passed last session, in order to prevent a major cut to energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses. “This year Read More
LePage’s Intransigence Threatens Key Efficiency Maine Programs
Rather than support a quick fix of a typo, he and Republican House Leader Ken Fredette are trying to use a manufactured crisis to increase the governor’s power. By Mike Tipping Portland Press Herald column Gov. Paul LePage and Republican House Leader Ken Fredette have proved once again that they can’t be trusted. You might remember Read More
Groups Petition PUC to Reconsider Decision on Missing “And” in Energy Bill
By MPBN staff MPBN news story AUGUSTA, Maine – Several environmental groups are petitioning state utility regulators to reconsider their ruling on the effect of one missing word – “and” – in the state’s omnibus energy bill. Last month in a case involving the missing word, the Maine Public Utilities Commission ruled 2 to 1 Read More
Environmentalists, Contractors Ask Maine Regulators to Redo Efficiency Cap Ruling
By Darren Fishell, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story PORTLAND, Maine — Two conservation groups and a building contractors association have petitioned the state’s utilities regulators to reconsider a decision to set a cap on state energy efficiency funding at the the lower of two possible levels. The 2-1 decision hinged on the absence Read More
CLF, NRCM, MABEP Petition PUC to Reverse Decision to Cut Energy Efficiency
Chance for PUC to Undo its Plan to Ignore & Subvert Legislative Intent News release Augusta, ME – Today the Conservation Law Foundation, the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and the Maine Association of Building Efficiency Professionals filed a motion with the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to “reconsider” its recent Order that would dramatically Read More
Maine Lawmakers Hear Proposals to Return Missing ‘and’ to Energy Law
by Scott Thistle, State Politics Editor Sun Journal news story AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers Wednesday took the first steps toward fixing what’s become known as a $38 million typographical error in a law that funds the state’s energy-efficiency programs. But looming over any potential fix is the less-than-subtle hint that Republican Gov. Paul LePage will Read More
Legislators Meet to Fix Efficiency Maine Funding
WCSH-6 TV news story AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — The Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee heard testimony Wednesday on two competing bills that would restore funding to Efficiency Maine. The word “and” was left out of the 2013 law in a drafting error. That error allowed regulators to slash $38 million dollars for energy efficiency Read More