An extractive industry taking advantage of an economically depressed region for its own gain

While all eyes are on the proposed CMP power corridor in western Maine, a potential environmental and economic catastrophe is unfolding Downeast, in the form of the proposed Apex wind farm in Columbia. The 22,000-acre tower array would be situated directly in the heart of western Washington County, with 30 structures rivaling the widely visible Cutler radio towers in overall height (taking into account site elevation), but over a much broader expanse and with moving parts added to the equation. These will be visible for dozens of miles in all directions, not just from high elevations, but from highly traveled Route 1, from Harrington to Machias. The very character of the Downeast region stands to be completely altered for generations, all for the financial benefit of a handful of people (most of whom don’t even live here) and one small municipality.

Make no mistake, this is just another example of an extractive industry taking advantage of an economically depressed region for its own gain. It’s no different than coal mining, drilling for oil or shale fracking. Multinational corporations stand to reap billions of dollars at the expense of the local economy and environment. Presumably, we won’t be satisfied until we’ve developed every inch of land in our mindless pursuit of more energy to sustain the unsustainable. We’re stealing from our grandchildren to feed our children.

There is no small irony in the fact that under our current “environmentally friendly” Governor Mills, Maine will be saddled with not only the one large eyesore in the form of the CMP corridor, but many hundreds of smaller ones in the form of onshore wind farms, all in a state where the predominant driver of the economy is our scenic beauty. To quote Governor Mills, “This is Maine!” That begs the question, “Then why can’t we do better than this?”

Larry Balchen

Jonesport

Source:  The Ellsworth American | March 6, 2020

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Comment by Stephen Littlefield on March 7, 2020 at 7:29pm

Seems that there are a number of questionable statements in the article, one is "Maine will be saddled with not only the one large eyesore in the form of the CMP corridor,"  see, it's never been a problem for years seeing that 9/10's already exists and has for years. What is left is to connect to Quebec hydro. oil, coal, natural gas and fracking are the stable energy source that can't go away with wind, but, they could be fazed out with hydro, but never wind. The regimes failure to work on an honest energy policy is going to burden the citizens of Maine for the foreseeable future Failure to work on the corridor for Maine's benefit  and going full force into the useless wind projects shows a dogmatic agenda that will enrich a few and burden millions! The corridor goes to the New England grid that Maine belongs to an draws from. It makes no sense for the regime to not make it as advantageous as possible for the state. But if that was to be then the wind turbines would be even more useless then they are now!!  

Comment by Sandy Wolfe on March 7, 2020 at 6:01pm

Sad article. However, the comment "It’s no different than coal mining, drilling for oil or shale fracking" is misleading. It is very different from those operations in that the product is not seriously productive. A lot is put into wind power operations with (to quote Colorado state's PUC) just a dribble of output. In fact, the one commissioner went on to say the only thing that brought them to approve the erection of these long-bladed wind turbines in Colorado is the investment by the wind company in constructing the high-voltage transmission lines. People look the other way as water resources, land and the ecological landscape are dangerously polluted by these gross mechanical units. We lived with fracking, as did our livestock. There was no living with these, there was only dying.

 

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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