All Blog Posts (10,147)

The CMP Maine Power Reliability Program (MPRP) certainly did not keep the lights on in Maine despite the program’s $1.4 billion price tag........“If we don't do this, the lights will go out in southern Maine,” said Sara Burns, the former CEO of CMP, in 2008......To put the scale of this transmission investment in perspective, only about 1.3 million people live in Maine, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This means CMP spent about $2,500 for every single customer it serves in…

On Nov. 2, House Republicans released their proposed tax reform legislation, providing for massive alterations to tax law. On Nov. 5, Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, formally submitted the bill as H.R.1 to his Committee on the Ways and Means.…

Germany, a major industrial country, is a leader in renewable energy generation. However, Germany made a significant mistake. Germany decided to phase out its nuclear plants, which produce low-cost electricity that has near-zero CO2/kWh, instead of replacing the plants. Germany continued to the use of lignite, a soft coal (low-Btu/lb.) coal, and hard coal. As a result, the CO2eq emissions have not decreased for the past 8 years.

Germany is headed for a clear failure to meet…

Following that hearing, expected to last about an hour, Bethel will hold public hearings on proposed amendments to the town’s commercial wind ordinance and a request for authorization for selectmen to dispose of the former West Bethel Children’s Center building. The wind proposal will be voted on at a special town meeting Nov.…

Is any of the money going to wind "farm" maintenance and repair one wonders?

Pingree is a resident of North Haven. She says the electrical energy for the islands' grid is mostly generated on Vinalhaven by a community-owned wind farm. …

The world’s largest wind turbine makers said a proposed Republican tax bill that would cut support for the industry in the U.S. would put its businesses and future investment at risk, in a rare public criticism on Friday of government proposals.......Equipment makers operating in the world’s second-largest wind turbine market have relied upon so-called production tax credits (PTC) agreed in 2015. In a new tax bill, unveiled late on Thursday, the PTC would be cut to 1.5 dollar cents per…

One notable example of alarm-raising is the description of sea-level rise, one of the greatest climate concerns. The report ominously notes that while global sea level rose an average 0.05 inch a year during most of the 20th century, it has risen at about twice that rate since 1993. But it fails to mention that the rate fluctuated by comparable amounts several times during the 20th century. The same research papers the report cites show that…

Various government entities, eager to show their greenness regarding global warming, passed laws to subsidize renewable power, so-called “green power”, as if there is such a thing. Some governments even passed laws that declare hydropower as non-renewable, but, on reflection of its implications, reversed themselves and passed laws that declare hydropower IS renewable, as recently did Vermont’s legislature.

President Andrew Jackson, Democrat, populist: “When government…

This article describes the build-outs of nuclear, wind and solar required by 2050 to make progress towards the IPCC temperature goals of 2.0 C above pre-industrial by 2100 or 1.5 C above pre-industrial by 2100. Estimates of world and US electricity generation are shown. See URLs.

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This week I have been one of the Mainers that has experienced a loss of power for three days, and there are still more that are going to be out for several more days. I have been out driving around Southern Penobscot County and can honestly say I have seen very few Emera crews out there doing ANYTHING for the first three days. It was a minor storm, lasted but a few hours, but there were some pretty high wind gusts and there were a lot of trees down. I didn't see a lot of wires down, but did…

Steyer also put a lot of money into…

It's taken 10 years but decision makers are starting to take a bold stand against the scourge of industrial wind.

The legislators and county commissioners referenced in the article below have taken a strong stand and should be applauded for their support.  The Moosehead region is working very hard to try and stop development – fighting multiple developers and CMP - not any easy…

“Market conditions back in 1992 no longer exist. Big wind no longer needs the Production Tax Credit, and certainly cannot justify the extraordinary benefits received [3.5¢/kWh pre-tax]. Retaining the subsidy in light of lower installation costs and increased production serves only to further distort the market and bestow a bounty on big wind that far exceeds what 1992 lawmakers could ever have envisioned.”…

“It’s easy to spend other people’s money,” said Rep. Michael Vose, R-Epping, who introduced a last-minute amendment to gut RGGI funding. “But nobody knows how to spend money better than the person that manages it, and this will benefit ratepayers.”............................The committee also voted by 11-10 to recommend HB 114, which would roll back the requirement that state utilities include 15 percent new renewable energy source, like wind and solar, by 2025.“They are a tax…

The world’s fossil fuel consumption has been about 78% of all primary energy* for the past 10 years, despite several trillion dollars of investments in RE systems. Current coal consumption is about 8000 million metric ton/y. China and India use about 60%.

* The energy from wells, mines, forests, etc., is called source energy, less exploration, extraction, processing and transport energy = primary energy to power plants, buildings, vehicles, industry,…