Dan McKay's Blog – February 2018 Archive (16)

LD 1810 (HP 1255)

"An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Expedited Permitting for Wind Energy Development"

Last House Action  LD 1810

2/6/2018 - Speaker laid before the House

On motion of Representative HERBIG of Belfast, the Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on ENERGY, UTILITIES AND…

The Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, as usual, rolled over for their favorite lobbyists, NRCM, yesterday 2-27-18 , giving away the people's time to listen to a speaker giving a half-baked report commissioned by the NRCM about shutting down all privately owned biomass electric plants in the State.

The Report :

Economic Impact Assessment of Wood Chip Heat in Maine

Prepared for:

Natural Resources Council of Maine

Attn: Nick Bennett

3 Wade…

Here is a report prepared for the Natural Resources Council of Maine making argument for the closure of  Maine biomass electric plants.

Biomass plants qualify as RPS Class I Renewable Resource along with Wind Plants.

Small biomass plants in Maine account for nearly 90% of the State's required Class I Renewable Credit

Biomass electricity is a dispatchable resource.

Why NOT the closure of…

OPA%20On%20Aqua%20Ventus.pdf

LaBrecque%20comments%20Aqua%20Ventus.pdf

Impacts to scenic character from a wind energy development’s associated facilities are generally evaluated in the manner set forth in the WEA, 35-A M.R.S. §3452 (1) & (3).

However, if the Department determines that application of the WEA…

http://www.wvomfm.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=7503451

http://www.wvomfm.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=7503453

Rumford Falls Times

Feb. 21, 2018

Miscellaneous Notices

NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE

Please take notice that RoxWind LLC (mailing address: 13 Elm Street, Suite 200, Cohasset, MA, 02025, telephone: 781-383-3200) intends to file applications with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection pursuant to the provisions of Title 35-A M.R.S. 3456 for certification that the wind energy development being proposed has been designed to meet the noise, shadow flicker, and public…

The mad rush to incorporate more wind and solar power into the New England electricity network is creating interesting results.

State subsidies to wind and solar power plants is providing the money these ventures need for return on investments. Their ROI is based on far shorter time periods than investments in the much sturdier gas, hydro and nuclear plants.

The market response to these policy driven intermittent, renewable investments is based on reliability and the…

The FY 2019 Budget Request advances energy dominance by investing in America’s leadership in energy innovation. The FY 2019 Request provides $2.5B for energy and related programs, $1.9B below FY 2017 Enacted, and continues the Administration’s prioritization of the early-stage R&D that takes place at the National Laboratories. Highlights include:

$696M for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, $1.3B below FY 2017 Enacted, focusing on early stage R&D on energy…

LD 1810 (HP 1255)

"An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Expedited Permitting for Wind Energy Development"

(Emergency)

(Governor's Bill)

Sponsored by Representative Joel Stetkis

Reference Committee

Energy, Utilities and Technology

Last House Action

2/6/2018 - Speaker laid before the House

On motion of Representative HERBIG of Belfast, the Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on ENERGY, UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY.

Sent for concurrence. ORDERED…

In all, 132 MW of wind and 86 MW of solar facilities cleared FCA #12 (most photovoltaic resources in New England are on the distribution system and don’t participate in the wholesale markets). Those totals include 1 megawatt of new wind and 21 megawatts of new solar facilities

Wind Power More than 1,300 MW of wind power is operational in the region. Developers are proposing nearly 8,600 MW of additional wind power, primarily in northern New England and offshore in southern New…

In a "what goes around comes around " potentially, ironic situation, could former Governor Baldacci, the one time Champion of Maine Wind Energy actually become an unwitting participant in it's demise ?

Baldacci is now an employee of Avangrid, a worldwide leader in service, innovation and investment in the U.S. energy industry.

More specifically, he is Vice Chair of the Board at Avangrid.

Avangrid owns CMP, an electrical transmission and distribution company…

Start with commodity allocation dependent on customer choice on price. The Electric Restructuring Act of 2000 was enacted to place electric generation in a competitive market giving customers choice on price. At that time, electric generation resources selected to meet demand were based on timely costs to provide the lowest price possible to retail sellers, and, subsequently, to customers

.

Obviously, policy makers considered the word "Restructuring " meant the market was subject to…

John Madigan, Representative for District 115 - Roxbury, Rumford, Sumner and Woodstock, plus the unorganized territory of Milton Township wants to cover the Western Maine Mountains with wind turbines.

Siding with fellow democrats, while throwing his constituents under the bus, Madigan voted against bring LD 1810 to public hearing . "An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Expedited Permitting for Wind Energy Development"

He is the only Rep. from Western Maine to vote this…