By Fred Bever Maine Public news story A consumer subsidy for renewable power in Maine may be ending — or at least changing. It’s called the Class 1 Renewable Portfolio Standards program, and many stakeholders, including environmentalists, say it’s ready for reform. Your electric bill pays for a lot of things: the electricity itself, the Read More
Legislature
Mining Rules Face Overwhelming Citizen Opposition
Record Shows Opponents Outnumber Proponents: 436-2 NRCM news release Mainers are overwhelmingly lining up against draft rules that would weaken environmental protections from mining pollution in Maine. The Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) is holding a deliberative session to consider the draft rules today at the Augusta Civic Center. According to an analysis by the Natural Read More
How Maine Can Move Beyond a Damaging Debate Over Its Public Forests
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial The last day of the 2016 legislative session didn’t go Gov. Paul LePage’s way for the most part, with lawmakers overriding more than 60 percent of the vetoes the governor put before them. But LePage got his way on one issue over which he’s been at Read More
Legislative Committee Votes Against LePage’s Anti-National Monument Bill
By Nick Sambides Jr., BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — The first legislative review of Gov. Paul LePage’s attempt to prevent the creation of a national monument within Maine began badly for him when one of the state’s top environmental attorneys advised that no state law could accomplish the governor’s goal. Read More
Maine Lawmakers Hear Mixed Testimony on Composting, Recycling Bill
A committee considers one of the most significant updates of Maine’s solid waste management laws, a plan to divert more waste from landfills into recycling or composting programs. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — Cities and towns could have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional fees Read More
Bill to Revive Land for Maine’s Future Bonds Heads to LePage’s Desk
The bill would reauthorize, for five years, $6.5 million in bonds that expired last fall while Gov. Paul LePage used them as leverage with lawmakers. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — The Legislature unanimously approved a bill Thursday that revives $6.5 million in bonds for the Land for Maine’s Read More
Maine Senate President Aims to Cap Electric Rates
By Scott Thistle, Sun Journal Sun Journal news story AUGUSTA, Maine — An effort to cap electric rates in Maine at 10 cents per kilowatt hour or less likely will go to a vote by the Legislature’s Energy Committee on Tuesday. But the bill, LD 1339, by Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, also calls for Read More
Maine House Votes to Renew $6.5 Million in Conservation Bonds
By A.J. Higgins MPBN news story AUGUSTA, Maine — After some last minute wrangling, the Maine House voted to give all but final approval to $6.5 million in land conservation bonds that expired last fall. The vote was unanimous. A plan agreed to last week by the House, Senate and the governor gave the state Read More
NRCM Says Energy Bill Would Cost Businesses $100M
Mainebiz news story The Natural Resources Council of Maine is opposing a bill before the Legislature that it said would effectively raise energy costs for businesses by $100 million and gut efficiency efforts. Dylan Voorhees, clean energy project director at NRCM, testified in a public hearing Thursday that Gov. Paul LePage’s bill, LD 1398, “An Read More
