"An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Determination of a Wind Energy Development's Effect on the Scenic Character of Maine's Special Places"

The Governor's veto of this bill was sustained by the legislature today.

The Governor's veto is here:

LD%20901.pdf

STATE OF MAINE
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
1 STATE HOUSE STATION
AUGUSTA, MAINE  04333-0001

 

June 12, 2017
 
The 128th Legislature of the State of Maine
State House
Augusta, Maine 

 

Dear Honorable Members of the 128th Legislature:

 

Under the authority vested in me by Article IV, Part Third, Section 2 of the Constitution of the State of Maine, I am hereby vetoing LD 901, "An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the Determination of a Wind Energy Development's Effect on the Scenic Character of Maine's Special Places."

 

This bill creates more work for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Maine Land Use Planning Commission by eliminating their discretion in determining if a visual scenic impact assessment for a scenic resource is necessary and by requiring all rulemaking under the Wind Energy Act be major substantive.

 

Meanwhile, the bill offers no real protection to Mainers in all areas of the state from the increasing visual impact of turbines popping up across our horizon.  Instead, it authorizes the Legislature to involve itself in the decisions of the agencies to continuously politicize what should be technical and science-based processes.

 

For this reason, I return LD 901 unsigned and vetoed.  I strongly urge the Legislature to sustain it.

 

Sincerely,

 

S/Paul R. LePage
Governor

 

_________________________________

 

 
            (2-4)  The accompanying item An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Determination of a Wind Energy Development's Effect on the Scenic Character of Maine's Special Places
(H.P. 629)  (L.D. 901)
(C. "A" H-213)

LD 901 (HP 629)
"An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Determination of a Wind Energy Development's Effect on the Scenic Character of Maine's Special Places"
Sponsored by Representative Tom Winsor

Status Summary
Reference Committee Environment and Natural Resources
Last House Action

6/13/2017 -  This Bill, having been returned by the Governor, together with objections to the same pursuant to Article IV, Part Third, Section 2 of the Constitution of the State of Maine, after reconsideration, the House proceeded to vote on the question: "Shall this Bill become a law notwithstanding the objections of the Governor?" 
ROLL CALL NO. 298V
75 having voted in the affirmative and 72 in the negative, with 3 being absent, and 1 excused, and accordingly it was the vote of the House that the Bill not become a law and the veto was sustained. 
ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
Placed in the Legislative Files. (DEAD)

MORE INFO ON BILL:

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?snum=128...

Views: 186

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Comment by Art Brigades on June 13, 2017 at 11:27pm

It was an ok bill originally, but it was amended badly by the Environment Committee, and the wind lobby ultimately got what they wanted: no action. 

Comment by Eskutassis on June 13, 2017 at 6:31pm

Chalk one up for the good guys!  But it sure was close.

 

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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We have the facts on our side. We have the truth on our side. All we need now is YOU.

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 -- Mahatma Gandhi

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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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