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
Maine jobs
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
Report Finds Offshore Wind Could Add 2,100 Jobs, as Regulators Mull Fate of UMaine Project
By Lori Valigra Bangor Daily News news story Maine could use its offshore wind power expertise to boost manufacturing and support 2,100 jobs in that industry, according to a report released late Wednesday. Based largely on advances in floating platforms for wind turbines developed by the University of Maine, the report by the American Jobs Read More
Panel on Wind Power Development Likely to Say What LePage Wants to Hear
No amount of study is going to convince the governor to reverse his strident opposition to wind generation, so why bother? by the Editorial Board Portland Press Herald editorial Last week Gov. LePage created a special commission to study wind power development in Maine and issue a report. This week, he told us what the Read More
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
Opposition to LD 1632, An Act to Establish the Manufacturing Jobs Energy Program
Senator Woodsome, Representative Berry, and members of the 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 supports the development of policies that increase availability of Read More
Solar Power Continues to Gain Ground in Central Maine
Projects are going up all over, aiming to harness electricity and, in the process, create local jobs. by Colin Ellis, Morning Sentinel Central Maine newspapers news story In early December, when light was dwindling in the late afternoon and wintry weather was taking hold, space heaters were coming out of storage and household lights were Read More