LD 1810 Maine offshore wind bill. Final work session audio w/written summaries.

Short summaries of each audio section from Wednesday's final work session on LD 1810. Click on "Part" links for the audios themselves. All audios w/micro summaries here

March 24, 2010 work session on LD 1810 Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Governor's Ocean Energy Task Force

Part 1 14 minutes. Introduction & description of where things stand:


Part A have taken out most of the objectionable language, if not all. Integrated yesterdays amendments into two yellow documents - a markup of the bill and a
page of insertions to fit into the bill. Also a white handout: a Sec A10 Insert


Page 1 see insert one as amended by Representatives Wagner and Adams.


Page 2 Section A1 of the bill is removed entirely.


Page 3: the underlined lines of 9-24 removed


Page 4: replacement from Todd on lines 1-7 (rephrasing of the potential over time for renewable energy sources substituting for oil) .


Sec A-4 entirely deleted


Page 4. Small amendment to line 19 & 20 states "the policy of the state to encourage..." removed reference to political
subdivisions and agencies


Page 4 Subsection 3 removed with insert 3 encouraging Tidal and Wave (not just tidal).


Page 5 heating conversion program removed. moral obligation credit is out.


Part B A big section no new changes - the early part B amendments.


Page 14 an amendment insert in submerged land lease law about provision for avoidance and minimization of harm to public trust assets. Balance
consideration existing uses of marine environment.


Page 15 In pre application meeting the BPL holds re leases, DMR is included in meeting. Notice of windmill applications given to Marine
advisory council and any lobster zone council iwith three miles of the proposal energyproject. The director must consider such comments.


Page 17 insert language: sources of funds within renewable ocean energy trust - a list of funds that must be
transferred into the trust will include: 80% of submerged lands leasing payments for renewable and wind & tidal projects
that actually get general permits. Lease fees are turned into "rents".


Part C of the bill re tax treatment of wind projects is being replaced entirely by Insert 7, directing Maine revenue service to make recommendations to legislature on how wind wave and tidal machinery should be treated in tax laws


Part D. LURC statutes Page 20 a clarification of definition of community-based offshore wind: must be less than 3 megawatts
instead of projected production.


Page 20 LURCs review of applications insert 8 parallel language in two places in the bill. SPlits up what issues decided and reviewed by Bureau of Parks and Lands versus LURC vs DEP See page 12 of the bill


Lines 14-22 Submerged lands director must find the proposed lease will not unreasonably interfere with navigation etc.


Part 2 13 min Overview of recent changes from earlier impacts to fisheries vs uses, remove tangible benefits reference, MDEP BEP appeals process, only excluded in R&D sites. Notice to Municipalities to within 3miles for lurc / State/muni coordination : delete all subsection 3 - the limits on municipalities. PLUS Section A10: the competitive solicitation for renewable ocean energy projects

A1-0 competitive solicitation to pilot projects Deepwater wind and tidal demo projects 10 miles offshore. ESec E-23 page 23 line 28 29 Strikes language; why?

Part 3 7 minutes Rep Adams Preamble amendments done. Criteria for energy projects.

Part 4 12 min Contract issues for pilot projects. Rep Fletcher: 25 megawatt over the horizon wind power program - potential produce 87K MW hours per year.

Highlight Maine's distinctiveness with our offshore-only approach. "Ocean wind green standard offer" concept .Innovative. Would be offered by PUC. On the assumption Maine signs a contract for that offshore power. Offer this to Maine consumers - get some market branding. Maine's distinct, clean, view-friendly over-the-horizon deepwater offshore Ocean Wind Green Standard Offer.


Make University of Maine buy the expensive electricity product and the DeepCwind Consortium's member companies - if THEY start committing to buying Maine Clean Ocean Wind, that could give it some traction. Branded as part of a Green Standard Offer. Need to offer as a strategic initiative.


Rep Flaherty: Concern is making sure the Offer isn't ridiculously high.


Part 5 8 min Dr Nixon asked PUC if exceeds market price then different funding sources. But this is consumer purchase by consumer preference. Tilberg at 3:50 dittos fletcher plan

Part 6 16 min Affirm Fletcher green ocean wind standard Rep Thibideau where's PUC? They choose not to weigh in on this.? Answer: Contacted PUC says not commenting ont he bill. Sec A-10 language re RFP How are Mainers getting jobs when requirement is for experienced relevant

Part 7 13 min Chair Where we are: Got focus and momentum. Tannenbaum on Pilot project RFP Allow cert of public convenience okays for transmission lines for future increase If goal too high will open door to agressive overbuilding
Nagusky Van Wies proposal is reasonably anticipated growth for facilities

Part 8 9 min Rep Adams - in discussion on land use wind energy and energy future committee had to balance out line use capacity based on a goal by non existing technology. Don't set goal until enough facts emerge to justify it.
Nagusky okay with van Wie's word strike

Part 9 10 min More about about renewable energy goals.

Part 10 8 min Rep Thibideau intros Public Advocate Davies

Part 11 8 min The 25MW offshore windfarm is going to be more expensive in the short term We must stop hiding the costs in everybody's electric rates. Ratepayers shouldn't have to subsidize. Maine getting known for progressive wind.

Part 12 10 min Outstanding issues? Rep Adams. Insert 5 golden sheet Ms Nixon captured the language to gather the input from those who harvest from the sea keeping in mind multiple use. I want to owner those that wrote something for me. 3 things When project is presented director must provide notice to advisory council and let provide comments and must consider them. No veto power. An insert of new language from the Island Inst and MLA The director shall fgive notice Added into the language. Fletcher: what about A-10 Competitive bids Is Ocean Green Energy language to be added in?

Part 13 11 min Green ocean option discussed by PUC GUY (?)

Part 14 9 min Rep Adams page 2 of proposed amendments In insert 3 A-7
regarding additional transmission line capacity

Part 15 4 min Rep Fitz re: wind energy related development wording repetitive of A5 Sub 1 policy statement. Doesn't require rollback on the CPCF Tomorrow will have a language review

Part 16 8 min Final Motion and discussion Move OTP amendment, as captured in our discussion on both yellow sheets, the A10 language as adjusted including Rep Fletcher's Green Ocean Offer.

Discussion? Rep Thibideau If nobody signs up for green power? A. If no one signs up I would ask if this is so important why aren't you a part of it. My expectation is there will be more customers than their will be supply.
If nobody signs up then have another policy decision to make.

Thibideau Add something with a report back.The Committee needs to be notified. We're talking 2014 - 2016: Five years out , PUC report to this committee. Add it to the existing report back protocol. If nobody wants it and we build it anyway, who pays? Cap of 12 million dollars. Opportunity to make important contribution to renewable energy economy.

Is this investment worth the same as the statewide energy efficiency program? No. 300,000 Compared to Ocean wind 87,000 MW hours (?) Costs are not effective comparison. Economic development purpose too. If too expensive for ratepayers, where's the fall back? Ratepayer is the last resort. If this is so important to the state of Maine for jobs and global green leadership the state should be willing to back stop it with appropriation if necessary.

All in favor of the pending motion please raise your hand: Unanimous.
Thanks the stakeholders "We've addressed most of the concerns, its somewhat of a flier, but we didn't make the priority decisions between safety net issues and this project. The policy came from Washington. "

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Comment by Ron Huber on March 25, 2010 at 12:21pm
I know what you mean. Let's push for 20 miles offshore. We've got a little lead time, and with the glut of offshore wind millery already moving ahead elsewhere on earth, it will become increasingly hard to justify any new flappers off uor coast.
Comment by Long Islander on March 25, 2010 at 11:58am
Habib - while I know you must have a terrific command of math related to composites, have you actually done a calculation that says a 6' human standing on the shore will not see a 400' tower 10 miles offshore? You know, factoring in the arc of the earth? What about if the 6' person is standing on a 50' bluff? What about if he is on top of the Camden Hills or Cadillac Mountain? What if one day the feds are stupid enough to give you even more of our hard earned money to subsidize 600' turbines? What ever happened to the initial talk about 20 miles offshore?
Please publish the math.

As for your out of bailiwick foray into economic and jobs prognostication, a crystal ball need be made of crystal, not composites. With all due respect professor.

By the way, glad to see you are on the team of the "Ocean Energy Institute", a "venture capital fund addressing the challenges of U.S. offshore renewable energy founded by Matthew R. Simmons of Simmons & Company International.

http://www.oceanenergy.org/about.asp
Comment by Ron Huber on March 25, 2010 at 3:34am
Oh yes the Ocean Green standard. Over-the-horizon windpower. At a premium price because it's so much better scenically and more stakeholder-respectful than the "dirty electricity" from the scenery-abusing and community-abusjng mountaintop windfarms on land. Spin, spin spin
Comment by Ron Huber on March 25, 2010 at 12:27am
Public Advocate is in Part 10
Comment by Ron Huber on March 24, 2010 at 11:35pm
The public advocate does show up... I will label the files better and list who is in them
Comment by Joanne Moore on March 24, 2010 at 10:44pm
I have many questions. I listened to all parts but I don't understand why, given the outrageous price, would Fletcher say the State of Maine government should select ocean wind greed standard, oops, green standard? Is he spending my money again? And what about the standard 3.5% per year raises to that price that the wind industry is asking? And, overbuilding to 4,000 megawatts, which is twice what we use now, what does that do to electric rates? And, I was hoping the Public Advocate was going to show, he never did? or did he?

 

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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