Governor LePage Responds to Maine Public Utilities Decision to Raise Electricity Rates on Mainers
Governor LePage Responds to Maine Public Utilities Decision to Raise Electricity Rates on Mainers
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For Immediate Release: Thursday, Jan. 24
Contacts: Adrienne Bennett, Communications Director (207) 287-2531
Patrick Woodcock, Energy Director (207) 624-7405
Governor LePage Responds to Maine Public Utilities Decision to Raise Electricity Rates on Mainers
Maine has the 12th highest energy costs in the country; this project will raise prices on Mainers
AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage responded to the Maine Public Utilities Commission vote Thursday to approve the Statoil North America, Inc. proposal for a long-term contract with Maine utilities for the development of an offshore wind project. As proposed, this project would cost nearly $200 million, an exorbitant price to be paid for by Mainer ratepayers.
The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted 2-1 on Thursday morning to allow Statoil North America, Inc. to move ahead with plans. PUC Chairman Thomas Welch and Commissioner David Littell approved the proposal. Commissioner Mark Vannoy voted against it.
“Today’s decision by the PUC and any policy that raises electricity costs is irresponsible. Maine has the 12thhighest energy costs in the country and this vote forces Mainers to pay even higher prices for the next 20 years,” said Governor LePage.
Statoil North America, Inc. requests Maine ratepayers to absorb above market electricity rates totaling $188.6 million to subsidize the project. Annual costs to Mainers for this pilot project are estimated to total more than $10 million during the next two decades.
“Furthermore, to attract business, we must be competitive and foster an environment that attracts investment to lower energy prices, not raise them. This vote will exacerbate our economic challenges, and it compounds Maine’s competitive disadvantages,” added the Governor.
On Wednesday, Patrick Woodcock, the Governor’s Energy Director submitted comments to the PUC regarding the Statoil North America, Inc. proposal for the development the Hywind offshore wind pilot project. In those comments, Woodcock raises concerns relative to the cost passed on to Maine consumers and overall economic benefit to the State of Maine.
http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/MEGOV-68c05b
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Views: 217
Comment
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Comment by Dan McKay on January 26, 2013 at 8:09am
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Fundamental transformation of the Maine PUC is urgently needed. Apply emergency legislation now.
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Comment by Hart Daley on January 25, 2013 at 5:46pm
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I can only imagine what Welch and Littell stand to gain financially from this! How the F*** do 3 people (2-1) vote have the power to determine what the entire State of Maine ratepayers will pay.....this is ridiculous. I applaud Gov. LePage for his steadfast stance on trying to keep our rates down!
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Comment by Brad Blake on January 25, 2013 at 9:48am
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Say what you might about our controversial Governor, but he has been consistent since the election campaign more than 2 years ago in his pledge to oppose increasing electricity rates and he has proposed a number of ideas that would actually help decrease rates. Is he the only politician that "gets it" that ever higher electricity rates hurts every Mainer and helps perpetuate our state's difficult business climate? Any form of feckless and expensive wind power is bad for this state!
Maine as Third World Country:
CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power
Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.
Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT
******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********
(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/
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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law
Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future
"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."
https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/
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