Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power - Maine

Maine faces new 'Closing of the Commons." State's fishery agency "caught with its pants down."

Maine faces new 'Closing of the Commons'. State's fishery agency "caught with its pants down."

by Ron Huber, Penobscot Bay Watch 207-691-7485
Wind industry-backed bill would stimulate massive leasing of Maine's fish-rich nearshore coastal waters to energy companies.

Augusta.
Beleaguered Maine scallopers, groundfishermen and shrimp harvesters
face financial ruin as a tiny state public lands agency looks to become a political powerhouse by leasing Maine's commercial fishing grounds out from under them.

While the state's marine resource agency is poised to shrug, Some fishermen ponder the alternative of local communities leasing their own waters and support modest wind, tide and solar projects for local use, instead of becoming an appendage of the National Grid

On Thursday March 11th at 1pm , LD 1810 " An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Governor's Ocean Energy Task Force" will come before the Maine legislature's Utilities and Energy Committee in Room 211, Cross Building.

The bill would authorize the Maine Department of Conservation's Submerged Lands Program to:

* Offer 30 year wind energy leases of the state's submerged marine lands to wind energy industry investors.Lobster grounds, scalloping zones, shrimp and urchin grounds, cod spawning areas, halibut holes, would all be opened to windmill companies leasing by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, which stands to gain millions of dollars in fees leasing thousands of acres of nearshore Maine waters.

* Ban commercial fishing within the wind leases of any gear that wind industry insurers deem risky to wind farm's underwater cables and structures.

* Allow wind companies to use eminent domain on shoreline and inland property owners to allow the industry to cut powerline and tower rights of way through private land to connect the offshore developers to the national grid.

* Allows nearshore windfarms to degrade local scenic values without penalty or need to compensate other users for lost value.

* Forbid coastal towns from assessing property taxes on wind turbines or related equipment and facilities in the municipalities' waters that are "below the mean low-water line on waters subject to tidal influence."

* Forbid Maine citizens from filing appeals of Maine DEP windmill project decisions to the Maine Board of Environmental Protection.

* Forbid the Maine Board of Environmental Protection from assuming jurisdiction over Maine Department of Protection windmill applications.

FISHERMENS' FORUM FURY While Maine Marine Resources chief George Lapointe has expressed dismay about the plan, he wants fishermen to weather the corporate storm by giving up fishing grounds. At the March 6th wind energy seminar at the Maine Fishermen's Forum, Commissioner Lapointe noted that the ocean wind industry in Europe bans fishermen operating their boats and gear inside their 'exclusion zones'.

"If their windfarm is 5 miles by 5 miles, no fishermen are allowed in there." he said.

"It's a huge issue for their insurance companies," Lapointe said. "You've got the structures generating the wind connected by cables and then to shore. The impacts of gear on that is clearly a big issue."

He suggested the developers interested in Maine waters will require the same. "We know that is a component," he said. "Prepare to share."

"The key is how we share." he advised the roomful of grim-faced fishermen at the wind industry seminar, but then admitted "there's no direct compensation" [for fishermen in the bill] While admitting it was "an accelerated process" Lapointe insisted the bill is "still going to give time for people to work on real issues ."

The panelists repeatedly declined, however, to answer a key question that arose among the stunned fishing industry and conservationists there: while the wind industry spoke glowingly of the megawatts of energy for Maine and the world, how many turbines does the industry plan to install in Maine coastal waters to reach the state goal of 300 megawatts by 2020? How many towers to reach the bill's 5,000 megawatt goal for 2030? Silence from the front table.

Tellingly, neither Lapointe nor any of the other wind industry and agency people speaking at the seminar received a single clap of applause following their presentations. This break from traditional civility at the Forum reflected the mood of fishermen who had just been shown maps superimposing enormous windfarm leasing areas over their traditional shrimp, scallop and groundfishing areas. "DMR was really caught with its pants down," one meeting participant said.

Fishermen and grassroots environmentalists have appealed to the Legislature to either send the bill over to the Marine Resources Committee and/or hold thebill over to next year or both. "Let's hope Speaker of the House Hannah Pingree and other coastal legislators stand up for their constituents," one coastal activist said. "The Department of Conservation certainly won't."

In the meantime, critics of LD 1811 said, priorities should include developing model ordinances for coastal towns and attempting to have Maine's commercial fishing fleets delineate windmill siting areas acceptable to their industry. If there are any.

"Most disturbing to me" one scalloper noted, " is the section on the "Renewable Ocean Energy Trust". Proceeds from offshore leases go into this trust and then are disbursed to the DMR for research and monitoring. This will be millions of dollars put into an organization that is not trust-worthy, unresponsive to the needs and desires of traditionalcoastal communities, and a bureaucratic mess largely under the influence of the Federal government and private non-profits."

--
For more information, contact
Ron Huber
POB 1871
Rockland Maine 04841
e: coastwatch@gmail.com
tel: 207-691-7485
web: www.penbay.org

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Comment by Joanne Moore on March 10, 2010 at 10:50pm: You know, and I think it has been said here before, if we can stop them from this ocean take over, we just might have them on the run. But if we don't, the money derived from this will go to more land grabs and there will be no stopping them if that happens. They think they are going to divide and conquer us, the land tubines vs the ocean turbines, but they don't know us very well. We are united. Let's go get 'em!

Comment by Long Islander on March 10, 2010 at 10:24pm: Nice unbiased composition of the Ocean Energy Task Force.

Ocean Energy Task Force
Members:
Representative Herb Adams
Portland, Maine

Tim Agnew
Masthead Venture Partners
Portland, Maine

George Baker
Fox Islands Wind LLC
Vinalhaven, Maine

Professor Habib Dagher
University of Maine
Orono, Maine

Representative Stacey Fitts
Pittsfield, Maine

David Flanagan
Manchester, Maine

W. Parker Hadlock
Cianbro Corporation
Pittsfield, Maine

Leslie A. Harroun
Oak Foundation
Portland, Maine

George Hart
Ocean Energy Institute
Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Senator Barry Hobbins
Saco, Maine

John Kerry, Director
Office of Energy Independence & Security
Augusta, Maine

The Honorable Angus S. King, Jr.
Brunswick, Maine

George LaPointe, Commissioner
Department of Marine Resources
Augusta, Maine

Kathleen Leyden
Director, Maine Coastal Program
State Planning Office
Augusta, Maine

Sean Mahoney
Director, Conservation Law Foundation
Brunswick, Maine

Dr. Robert Marvinney
State Geologist
Department of Conservation
Augusta, Maine

Pat McGowan, Commissioner
Department of Conservation
Augusta, Maine

Beth Nagusky
Director, Office of Innovation and Assistance
Department of Environmental Protection
Augusta, Maine
(co-chair)

Don Perkins
President, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Portland, Maine
(co-chair)

Senator Kevin Raye
Perry, Maine

Cathy Renault
Director, Office of Innovation
Department of Economics & Community Development
Augusta, Maine

Pat White
President, Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation
York Harbor, Maine

http://www.maine.gov/spo/specialprojects/OETF/members.htm

Just as one example, member Stacey Fitts, who's taxpayer-funded website says he is a self employed consultant, is actually employed by Kleinschmidt Associates a company that is extremely interested in wind subsidies and prides itself in the fact that it has someone on the inside in the Ocean Energy Task Force helping them be "very active in the development of state regulations in Maine"? http://www.maine.gov/legis/house_gop/members/fitts.htm and
http://www.kassociates.com/MarineRenewable/default.htm

Comment by Long Islander on March 10, 2010 at 10:11pm: Maine Legislature Plans Thursday Hearing on Offshore Wind Bill
March 10, 2010

By Peter Brennan

Maine legislators are scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday on an ambitious piece of offshore wind legislation proposed by Gov. John Baldacci.

Under the legislation, the state would set a target of 300 megawatts (MW) of installed offshore wind capacity by 2020 and 5,000 MW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030. The legislation also includes a goal of 3,000 MW of overall wind energy capacity in the state by 2020 and 8,000 MW by 2030.

The bill, An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Governor’s Ocean Energy Task Force (L.D. 1810), is scheduled for a public hearing before the Utilities and Energy Committee on Thursday, March 11 at 1PM.

The legislation would create leasing procedures that allow phased development and discourage speculative site banking. Additionally, the bill would form a Renewable Ocean Energy Trust Fund for lease fees generated by renewable ocean energy projects and make that money available for research, resource enhancement and compensation to help mitigate adverse impacts caused by development.

The legislation also calls for the development of tidal energy resources in Maine’s coastal waters.

The legislation has already attracted opposition from Gulf of Maine fishermen and other citizen groups. In February, the Citizens’ Task Force on Wind Power asked Baldacci to issue an executive order putting all of the state’s new wind projects on hold, citing concerns about potential negative impacts on public health and the environment.

http://offshorewindwire.com/2010/03/10/maine-legislature-plans-hear...

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Comment by Martha Thacker on March 10, 2010 at 9:58pm: Joanne Moore

I am with you. I will never vote for anyone who sells out Maine workers. Or the forests, lakes, coasts , animals and birds.

Ron Huber...Nice touch. Glenn Beck and Rush would both like that angle, unfortunately. I wish our legislators and commentators were trying to work for the American people, but it is not the times we live in.
I emailed Glenn Beck yesterday and the reply stated that he got 4000 emails a day, and could not read them in a timely fashion. It helps to know somebody. Will email them anyway. And use the liberal dems. idea.

Comment by Long Islander on March 10, 2010 at 9:50pm: Try Howie Carr
howiecarr@wrko.com
877-469-4327

Also, a frequent guest of his, and occasional guest host is Col. David Hunt, who actually lives in Scarborough, ME. Maybe he has a water view they're setting to despoil.

Comment by Long Islander on March 10, 2010 at 9:47pm: Email Jedediah Bila. She likes "New Hampshire Cottages". So she likely hates industrial wind and likes the Maine seacoast.
http://jedediahbila.com/about-2
Contact: http://jedediahbila.com/contact

Comment by Joanne Moore on March 10, 2010 at 9:40pm: The Democrats and the Green Party must know this is going to hurt them politically. I for one will never support anyone who has sold out the working men and women of Maine. You can bet your boots the closing of the Stinson cannery has something to do with this ocean grab. More people out of work. More misery.

Comment by Ron Huber on March 10, 2010 at 9:34pm: thanks! Will send to them about the Liberal dems of the Baldacci administration screwing conservative scallopers by cutting deals with the Chinese wind mafia.

Comment by Joanne Moore on March 10, 2010 at 9:23pm: ElRushbo@eibnet.com

me@glennbeck.com

Comment by Martha Thacker on March 10, 2010 at 9:21pm: Charlie, I am putting your calculations in my favorites. And what if , instead of sinking millions into research for wind energy at our universities, that same amount of money was spent helping our farmers , fishermen and dairies. They are dying. By helping them, it would potentiate tourism growth instead of hurting it. I have read where some organic farms are raising money by allowing city dwellers to come and work on their vacations. The city dwellers have to pay to work for the farms. I thought it was hilarious when I read it. But in actuality rural farmers and fishermen are attractive to people who feel disconnected from their roots.Sometimes new isn't better.

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U.S. Sen Angus King

THE UNTOLD STORY OF RECORD HILL WIND

The Untold Story of Record Hill Wind, continued

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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