Maine’s energy policy looks to be going up in smoke | Tux Turkel

by Long Islander

9 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Tux Turkel

EXCERPTS

.........Across Casco Bay, I see smoke rising from the 421-foot chimney at Wyman Station in Yarmouth. This power plant from a bygone era burns barge loads of polluting, climate-warming oil.

................Natural gas is a big factor. It still generates half of New England’s electricity, despite years of renewable energy expansion. It’s increasingly exported overseas, so it’s tied now to global prices. Public opposition to expanding pipeline capacity leaves our region short of gas on the coldest days, requiring costly injections of liquified natural gas.

...................And then I saw how the vision butted up against current state policy, articulated in an address by Philip Bartlett, chair of the Public Utilities Commission. Bartlett explained how Maine is partnering with other New England states to develop big energy infrastructure. One example is the decades-long attempt to build a transmission line that would connect giant wind farms in Aroostook County to the New England grid.

https://www.pressherald.com/2025/12/26/maines-energy-policy-looks-to-be-going-up-in-smoke-tux-turkel/

 

 

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  • Dan McKay

    Tux senses the demise of oil and natural gas use to keep the lights on in Maine is not on the horizon.


    "Some people say, shut it ( Wyman Station) down. I ask them, when the temperature falls to zero, how many hours are you willing to be without electricity? He would be right.

    He could have mentioned the charges that Wyman Station and the many natural gas-fired stations must pay and pass on to retail electric customers due to a little carbon tax program called RGGI( Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ). ISO-NE associated the latest tremendous hike in carbon taxes as the reason for the increase in fossil fuel generator costs while the supply costs of natural gas as a fuel remained level year over year. And why not mention that Trump policies are bringing down the cost of oil? And if Europe was to end their energy war with Russia, the exports of natural gas from the USA would not be necessary. Or, if states like New York and Massachusetts would come to their senses and allow natural gas pipeline expansion within their states, the passage of natural gas would flow more freely to all electricity generation plants, industries  and homes in New England. Or he could point out that the destruction of fossil fuel use is a Democrat Thing. Or that wind,solar and batteries will never replace the need for fossil fuels and simply add costs to electric bills. Remove the subsidies and they simply stop the build outs. Deconstruction of existing wind and solar plants by severing their generous payouts would drastically reduce electricity costs. Tux could have mentioned if he would talk one on one to the average Maine resident that the high cost of electricity will be a major factor in how they will vote in November 2026.
    Tux admits NECEC generation is good, "Another bright spot is the start up of the New England Clean Energy Connect power line. With a capacity of 1,200 megawatts, it will bring a critical, 24/7 slug of electricity into the region from Quebec."  But he then goes on to say the delays to NECEC costs the electricity customers a half a billion dollars. No, Tux, that cost was absorbed by Massachusetts' electricity customers as was all the transmission construction as well as the payments made to HQ generation by Power Purchase Agreements.Can Tux say the " giant wind farms" proposed for Aroostook County along with the transmission projects to carry the flow of power all the way to the New Hampshire/Maine border will not be mostly paid by Maine electricity customers? Can he say this "giant wind project" will bring a critical, 24/7 slug of electricity to a substation in Maine?
     
    Throw in the towel, Tux, fossil fuels are here to stay and every kilowatt capacity that a wind or a solar or a battery project claims requires subsidies and standby backup power capacity from hydro, nuclear and the marvelous discovery of humankind, fossil fuels.
     
    Stop the fight against fossil fuels. Eliminate the carbon tax(RGGI). Increase the pipeline capacities. Embrace SMRs. Look North to neighboring Canada. Electricity is the essence of industrial, commercial and elegant home living and its costs are intermingled among all three users. It should be so inexpensive that no one should have to worry about tightening their belts to pay for it. Deconstruct the tagalong market that Maine Democrat-Driven policies have created. One market with reliable generators, unencumbered from penalizing policies should be in Maine's future and can be by voting out the Democrat-Driven policies by voting out the Democrats.

    38 minutes ago