Maine Sunday Telegram - No major wind projects would have been built without production subsidies and government policies that allow wind to be sold at above-market rates
5/26/13
Maine poised for historic transition to natural gas
Amid the state's rush to convert from oil to natural gas, however, it's possible that some issues important to Mainers are not being fully examined.
By Tux Turkel tturkel@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
EXCERPT:
However, gas prices still are expected to stay low enough to maintain a long-term advantage over wind power, New England's leading form of new, renewable power. As is, wind can't compete with gas-fired electricity. No major projects would have been built without production subsidies and government policies that allow wind to be sold at above-market rates.
But when weighed against the impacts from Maine's heavy reliance on oil, policymakers have for 30 years felt the trade-off was worthwhile, and have sought to diversify energy sources, as a hedge. Politicians from both major parties have passed laws that promote homegrown, renewable power, in part for the local economic benefits it can provide in the form of jobs and investment.
Those policies now are under fire from Gov. Paul LePage. He wants to turn away from ambitious goals to grow wind power as an industry, set in motion during the administration of former Gov. John Baldacci. LePage wants to reverse that policy and, in his words, "fast-track gas."
http://www.pressherald.com/news/maine-poised-for-historic-transitio...
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Comment by Martha thacker on May 26, 2013 at 8:58pm
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Can you see it from the road? Will go and look if you can.
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Comment by Harrison Roper on May 26, 2013 at 2:14pm
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I apologize - I should have written "under" instead of "over" (below).
btw: about 10 days ago there was a turbine in the Stetson II line of turbines that was not turning, and it seemed to be missing a blade. I think it was the seventh turbine from the north end of the line. Does anyone know anything about this? Harrison Roper Houlton/Danforth
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What a fine and comprehensive article by Mr. Turkel in today's Telegram. I have not missed an issue of the Telegram in over 25 years and articles like this one is a reason why I never miss an edition. ClydeMacDonald, Hampden
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Why is hydro defined by Maine as renewable only if it is generated by a facility over 100 MW capacity? This political definition of "non-renewable" seems to be designed to serve the interests of the big-money promoters of wind power. Yet we rate payers ultimately have to pay for everything -
for the very expensive transmission needs caused by the proliferation of wind power all over the state, as well as the very high-priced subidized wind power that contributes (sometimes) to our grid's energy, and the expensive back-up power which must be available all the time for the grid, whether it is needed or not.
Harrison Roper Houlton/Danforth
Follow the money.
Harrison Roper
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""I've never understood the argument for diversity,"..from the article. Deregulation didn't work out the way it was supposed to either. Now our Maine state govt. is looking to Canada for cheap energy..where does it come from ? Hydro. Of course , we shouldn't use our hydro..it isn't considered renewable anymore. Although, it is in other New England states. I have an idea..get politics out of energy. Watch our rates plummet.
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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