A natural gas solution

LePage: Energy Independence Could Revitalize the American Economy

Governor Paul LePage on Monday applauded the new energy plan introduced by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, which focuses on making America energy independent by the year 2020. The plan looks to achieve this critical goal by bringing all cost-effective sources…

An estimated 12 million migratory birds will be put at risk if two large offshore wind turbine projects are built in Lake Ontario, according to a report released…

Maine Wire Editorial: Wind-power agenda fuels CMP increases

Photo of First Wind turbines at the Rollins wind project by Brad Blake

On July 1, most of Central Maine Power’s customers unknowingly suffered a 19.6% increase in…

The entire island of Lanai, Hawaii is owned by a single person and the U.S. Government. When local "resorts struggled with the recent economic downturn and the challenge of bringing tourists to a remote island with single-propeller air service, the island’s owner proposed building a field of 45-story turbine windmills, across bluffs and beaches covering over a quarter of the island, to produce energy to sell to Oahu. The plan polarized residents, dividing those who saw the turbines as the…

8/20/12

Excerpt:

The next line of attack will likely center on crony capitalism. As governor, King signed a law requiring Maine utilities to produce at least 30 percent of their energy from renewable sources such as wind — and then, after leaving office, moved quickly to profit from the mandate he enacted by forming a wind energy business. He secured …

Sunday, August 19th was a bright clear day.  From the new Height of the Land overlook in Oquossoc, ME you could see some 20 turbines on the Lowell Mountain ridge line...80 miles away in Vermont! Very sad.

EXCERPT:

"The reason why those industries got venture capital is because there were government subsidies, artificial support to customers," said John Harbison, an active deal lead at Tech Coast Angels. "Those programs are going away. The political environment isn't there to support it." 

Why green energy startups are now 'toxic'

By …

Exelon pushes to scrap wind subsidy ~  August 3, 2012

Company that showcases its green footprint outrages power advocates seeking tax extension

    With nearly half of its profits coming from its nuclear fleet and low-cost wind power cutting into its margins, Exelon is in Washington leading a fight to kill a tax credit the wind industry says is crucial to its survival.



Exelon Corp.has been a…

filed:  August 14, 2012 • Pennsylvania

State police investigating shooting at Mehoopany Wind Farm site  

Wind Energy Subsidies are as Useful as VHS Tape Subsidies

Excerpt:

Can you imagine the logic: “We can’t afford to lose our VHS tape manufacturing plants. They provide valuable jobs. Americans need a variety of ways to watch recorded entertainment.” Loris says this is what proponents of wind energy tax credits sound like.

Continue reading…

The UMPI turbine website reports it down for repairs, with a new power  figure: 400,221 kWH produced since last mid-November.  The data reporting is also under repair, as it had been for months. 

    Harry Roper   Houlton/Danforth

Posted: August 14

Updated: Today at 12:44 AM 

Migrating songbird elevated on 'watch' list

The Bicknell’s thrush, which can impede wind project plans, moves closer to possible U.S. protection.

By North Cairn …

The following is a screen capture of an excel spreadsheet provided by an insightful and analytical critic of industrial wind projects in Maine.  It takes extrapolation of data from the FERC website, but it is very revealing of the pricing, income, and output of these familiar projects.  As might be expected, output is higher in the first quarter (January, February, March) as strong winds usually accompany exiting winter storms and we all know March is a windy, transition month for weather. …

The track record of DEP answering questions from their "Public Comment Meetings" is sketchy, at best.  Vague answers, dismissive tones to answers, wind industry talking points for answers, dodging answers by referring questions to other entities such as the PUC.  Commissioner Aho acknowledged at the July 12 meeting in Greenbush that she stated to CTFWP members Monique Aniel, Steve Thurston, and me that there is a "New Tone" being set regarding how DEP handles wind power applications.  Could…

PLEASE  READ THE  FOLLOWING  MESSAGE I  RECEIVED  THIS  MORNING  FROM JIM BEYER , PROJECT  MANAGER FROM  THE  PASSADUMKEAG  FIRTS  WIND  PROJECT:

'At the applicant’s request, the application review process for Passadumkeag Wind Park has been placed on hold.  It is anticipated that the applicant will request the review to be reopened in October, at which point the Department will be preparing a draft order.  Any additional information submitted by the applicant will be posted…

Kurt Adams, chief counsel for expedited wind law pusher Gov John Baldacci becomes Baldacci's chair of the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC). During his term there, the MPUC, overruling its own staff approves the Maine Power Reliability Project (aka the CMP upgrade) which mandates that ratepayers fund the $1.4 Billion transmission expansion in Maine. Baldacci administration proponents cite the reason to be a need for reliability due to "aging lines", completely downplaying the…

Radio Address: New England Governors Agree: Energy Reform Needed

August 4, 2012

Benjamin Franklin said there were only two things certain in life: death and taxes.

Hello. This is Governor Paul LePage.

There are two constituents that for far too long have not been represented in Augusta. They are the taxpayer and the ratepayer. It’s no secret I’m no fan of excessive taxes. I don’t believe burdening Maine people with more taxes is going to make our state…

This Thursday (tomorrow August 2nd) the Senate Finance Committee is taking up a bill that extends the wind production tax credit, a handout for wind energy producers that distorts our energy markets.  It’s long past time for Washington to stop using the tax code to manipulate our economy and our energy production. 

Thankfully, one of Maine's senators, Olympia Snowe,  sits on the Finance Committee and she will have a chance to vote on whether to extend this subsidy.…