Long Islander's Blog (3,020)

Ellsworth American - Ethan Genter - June 23, 2021

AUGUSTA — A compromise has emerged in the state Legislature that would install a permanent ban on wind energy development in state waters and give the fishing industry a seat at the table on any federal projects that want to connect to land through the state’s jurisdiction.

The compromise came from the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology, which had been considering a pair of dueling bills on offshore wind. The first…

The writer, Marina Schauffler, before becoming a journalist served as a communications consultant to numerous environmental organizations and agencies. In the piece, excepted below, she talks about the threat of wind driven fires, suggesting that wind speeds are getting higher.

From the article:

"Historically, the state’s largest and most destructive fires have been wind-driven, Mints noted: “Here in Maine, wind is our…

Excerpts:

AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate on Thursday night voted down a bill to form a consumer-owned utility to buy the assets of Central Maine Power and Versant Power, reversing the results of initial Senate action and considerably dimming the bill’s chances of passing the Legislature this session.

The measure passed the Senate a day earlier on a preliminary vote of 19-16, but it failed by a single vote on final enactment, 17-18. There was no debate in the Senate chamber…

How much worse than acknowledged are the bird and bat kills by wind turbines?

EXCERPTS:

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 14, 2021

“Which source of mortality kills more or less birds is somewhat irrelevant…. the threat posed by wind turbines grows with each facility constructed in a high-risk area for birds.”

– Joel Merriman, American Bird Conservancy

The “avian mortality problem” has long been an issue for industrial wind turbines, as…

EXCERPTS:

By Maureen Milliken

Plans for a $235 million wind farm in Washington County, in the works since 2013, are before the Maine Land Use Planning Commission for review, a final step before construction can begin.

The state Department of Environmental Protection passed the Apex Clean Energy project on to the commission for review last month after DEP determined the wind farm is an allowed use under its guidelines. The LUPC is the planning authority for the…

EXCERPTS:

Maine could become the first state where lawmakers order 'divestment' from fossil fuels, although changes to the bill could slow the process.

Divestment advocates hailed the bill’s passage as a landmark moment that helps put Maine at the forefront (at least among state governments) of an international campaign that they say has solid ethical and financial footing. Youth climate activists, environmental groups and state retirees led the fight for the…

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 8, 2021

EXCERPT:

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Mark Mills brought to light the fact that the International Energy Agency (IEA), generally regarded as the world’s most important source for energy information, recently released a 287-page report entitled, The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions.  

Here are some highlights and lowlights from that IEA report. 

• Transitioning from…

As someone wrote to me about this:

"Berry is very progressive. He's been pushing this for a while and now it may go to a referendum vote. No one in their right mind would take over these unprofitable, capital intensive utilities. Versant would love to get their money back - they bought the damn company with a credit card. Avangrid would as well - CMP is a loser. They put the trans line in a separate LLC in prep for this move. The PUC is going to condemn these companies? How does…

Maine Public | By Fred Bever

Published May 14, 2021

Central Maine Power first proposed building a transmission line to Canada in 2017, and four years of controversy later, there are still hurdles ahead: legal challenges at the state and federal levels, a statewide ballot item set for November, unexpected technical issues to address.

But on Thursday, a federal court lifted an injunction that barred tree-clearing in one disputed segment.

And elsewhere on the…

Maine Public | By Fred Bever

Published May 18, 2021 at 4:03 PM EDT

There was early momentum Tuesday for what could be Maine's next big transmission project linked to renewable energy goals, this one in Aroostook County. The latest plan, as envisioned in legislation before the utilities committee, got a positive review at the State House.

Energy analysts say the County has some of the state's best potential for developing cost-effective wind and other renewable…

Presented by President TROY JACKSON of Aroostook.

Cosponsored by Representative MARTIN of Eagle…

By Fred Bever | Maine Public | May 11, 2021

Tux Turkel - May 5, 2021

More than 60 commercial fishermen and their supporters testified Tuesday in favor of a bill that would block any attempt to develop offshore wind projects anywhere along the Maine coast.

The bill would prohibit any state agency from permitting or approving any offshore wind energy project regardless of its location. It was introduced by Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, a commercial fisherman, and co-sponsored by eight other…

May 3 - By PATRICK WHITTLE, Associated Press - pressherald.com

Sprawling wind farms located off the coast. Hydropower transmission lines that cut through some of America’s most beloved forests and rivers. Solar megaprojects of unprecedented size.

As President Biden’s administration plans to fight climate change by weaning the nation off fossil fuels, these large-scale renewable energy projects are the source of conflict within a seemingly unlikely group:…

Littell seems to be stuck in Augusta's revolving door.

.....................to meet growing demand for expertise on climate-related law and regulation.

Bernstein Shur, a firm based in Portland with more than 125 attorneys, announced the new practice Thursday on Earth Day with members of the multidisciplinary team led by shareholder David Littell as chair.

He told Mainebiz the initiative came from a couple of members of the firm's board after noticing that climate…

By Laurie Schreiber

Leaders in the lobster fishing industry are planning a “Protect the Gulf of Maine” rally in Augusta next week to highlight issues related to the development of offshore wind power.

“The fishermen are not opposed to renewable energy,” Virginia Olsen, a fourth-generation Stonington lobster fisherman who sits on the Maine Lobstering Union-Local 207 executive board, told Mainebiz by email. “But we are fighting for our iconic Maine way of life; not just our…

Please read the following articles and many more at the link below. (Once there, scroll down to page 27).

Maine counties chafe at lower-than-expected payments from wind projects

Lower- and middle-class Americans will pay a fortune for Biden’s wind-power plan

‘Obscene’ wind turbine subsidies revealed by new data

New grants prop up lobbying for renewable energy and strengthen ties to China

Federal funding fantasy: EV charging

Germany Energy…

Mills has a chance to fill key energy post as LePage appointee’s PUC term ends

EXCERPTS:

The 6-year term of Bruce Williamson, an economist who was nominated to the Maine Public Utilities Commission by then-Gov. Paul LePage in 2015, ended in March.

As Mills zeroes in on a PUC commissioner, she also will be considering her pick to head the Office of Public Advocate, an independent agency that…

Last week, the Biden administration announced “a bold set of actions” that it said will “catalyze” the installation of 30,000 megawatts of new offshore wind capacity by 2030. A White House fact sheet claimed the offshore push will create “good-paying union jobs” and “strengthen the domestic supply chain.” One problem: It didn’t contain a single mention of electricity prices or ratepayers.

The reason for the omission is obvious: President Biden’s offshore-wind scheme will be terrible…