In a seesion of the legislature where the Governor has been vetoing legislation , Governor LePage stood up for the rights of the citizens in the state's Unorganized Territories and SIGNED LD 828 into law.  What a long and skillfully fought victory!  The following is the message from UT Citizens for Fair Policy.…

ISO New England is retiring more energy plants and looking to Maine to provide more energy, but openly states that Maine lacks the transmission infrastructure.  Are we supposed to foot the bill?  We are already being told new transmission lines are for us! Really??

http://www.ect.coop/editors-pick/challenges-loom-as-new-england-plants-retire/82516

See

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/windpower/11685082/Wind-farm-subsidies-axed-to-stop-turbines-covering-beautiful-countryside.html

It is interesting that there is no US media coverage of this perspective from Bill Gates.  This article comes from the UK.  The UK doesn't utilize direct taxpayer subsidies like the USA, but instead has forced a "Feed-in Tariff" on the grid, forcing electricity costs to skyrocket.  This, in turn, has led to poor and working class people to endure what has been termed "energy poverty" such that they must sacrifice heavily on other things to try to keep the lights on.…

One of the problems we have continually struggled with is the bias of the Maine media in their complicity with the wind industry in promoting this scourge in Maine.  When I saw this completely biased article in the Lewiston Sun Journal, from a reporter who I know must have my phone number and email from previous interactions (as well as contacts for other wind power critics), I got angry and fired off this email:

"Mr. Karkos, I have to strenuously object to the article…

State of the Environment – Maine DEP Commissioner & Bureau Chiefs…

.....Hydro power is one of the few green energy sources that is “grid ready” and can supply economical reliable energy. So, naturally, many greens are opposed to it. However, in most places there is competition for fresh water for domestic uses, irrigation, industry and environmental flow. Hydro power is just one more competitor for this valuable green resource.



So Green energy is not so green after all. It reduces the supply of food, water and…

The massive Oakfield Wind project has towers being erected at a steady pace.  There will be 50 Vestas V112 turbines when complete, each standing 492 ft tall from base to apex of the blade.  This project represents one of the worst travesties in our sordid history of wind power projects in Maine, as DEP Commissioner Aho allowed First Wind (now SunEdison) to amend an existing license for 35 1.5 MW GE turbines, each at 389 ft tall, and expand it to this completely different project, impacting a…

We have gotten few victories from the State Legislature, but the dogged determination of the Maine Citizens of the state's Unorganized Territories now have won a process to have a say about whether or not to be in the Wind Energy's Law's arbitrary "Expedited Permitting Zone".  Great job to the group "UT Citizens for Fair Policy".  Here is their press release:…

Good bye David Littell, ex-chairman of REGGIE and DEP commissioner under Governor Baldacci , then conveniently appointed PUC Commissioner  , your damage has been done . Your heavy hand, which so faithfully served the wind industry ,has been removed from the regulatory process.

We now hope and will watch for fairness. 

Economist Bruce Williamson Takes Oath to Serve on Maine Public Utilities Commission…

As a Member of:

The Alliance for the Common Good

We at STEWC welcome the Wind Warriors to join us. …

Thank You Barbara Durkin for re -alerting our attention to this movie .

Please share wide and large on your social networks. Reverse propaganda will take time and we need to be relentless if we hope to save our landscape, wildlife and the well - being of affected residents.

http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/53725

LD 828 Passes Maine House and Senate

http://www.pressherald.com/2015/06/22/lawmakers-pass-bill-to-let-some-maine-residents-ask-out-of-wind-permiting-areas/

One step in the right direction - Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this happen!!!

same bad actors, same playbook, same abuse of New England rural residents.....

Iberdrola discusses potential turbines at public information meetings

http://www.wbjournal.com/article/20150619/NEWS01/150619931/iso-power-use-rose-prices-fell-in-may

With energy prices so low how can wind developers pay the debt service on projects?  Oh wait! There are renewable energy credits to sell - at over $50.00 a MW hour!  Without a single electron leaving Maine!  Hmmm - Wasn't Paul Gaynor one of Deval Patrick's energy advisers?  And…

move over Sun Edison.....

State wildlife officials oppose Hancock County turbine project

Gabor Degre | BDN

Turbines on Heifer…

"Reality versus Illusion"

There comes a point in time when reality sets in. The winter  seems  longer, the back a bit stiffer, the fingers   a bit less nimble perhaps  and the daily costs of living spiral higher.

Those realities hit me last year, and I decided to act. My beloved wife and I became full time residents of the great State of Florida ,after working  almost  40 years in our professions in our adopted  and  beloved   State of Maine .

Change does and must occur…

A bill currently making its way through the Legislature would make it much more difficult for volunteer citizen petitions to get on the ballot.

LD 742 would require 50% of the signatures to be collected from each congressional district. 



The current requirement is about 61,500 signatures. The bill would require about 31,000 from each district. The paid signature drives will just pay people to do whatever they have to…

The Portland Phoenix  weekly edition has just been posted on-line.  There are several articles relating to wind power and other issues that relate to wind power.  Chris O'Neil of Friends of Maine's Mountains and Brad Blake of Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power were both contributors, but this is a great opportunity for us to bring our case to readers of the Phoenix. 

The Phoenix is one of the most prominent "freebee" news tabloids that are distributed everywhere, plus it is on-line. …

The King wind saga: When Record Hill hit Capitol Hill