Rep Sara Gideon's bill would require state utilities to contract for a certain amount of power supply from solar energy projects....To ensure their economic viability, long-term contracts are almost required for developers to pursue grid-scale solar projects....“We need to get this bill enacted,” Kenway said.…

While many of LePage's past energy efforts have fallen flat, he will have an opportunity to strengthen his influence this spring when he replaces the last remaining Democratic appointee to the agency that regulates the state's utilities......

"His energy policy in no way reflects the truth that we have to make a clear transition away from fossil fuels — including natural gas — toward a 100 percent clean energy economy," said Glen Brand, director of the Sierra Club…

The Department of Energy, has once again buddied up with its friends in the wind industry to release an updated vision of how the United wind energy can achieve a 20% market share of the electricity (not total energy) market by 2030. This time, DOE went a step further to claim we could get to 10% wind by 2020 and a whopping 35% wind by 2050 (wind’s current electric-market share is 4.5%).…

4/15/2015 @ 11:28AM 1,075 views

"Winter Is Coming" -- Preparing For A Possible Reduction Of The Solar Investment Tax Credit

Those just adding headcount will face the daunting task of getting resources lined up and will then be faced with high cost structures in 2017. …

The testimony of a number of Washington County residents and organizational leaders in Augusta on March 19 resulted in LD 295, An Act to Promote Tidal Energy Projects, to be killed by the legislature's Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. At a workshop held on March 25, the committee voted unanimously to give the bill an ought not to pass recommendation.…

This latest update from Friends of Maine's Mountains (FMM) covers bills related to various topics - Citizens Rights, 100 MW Hydro, Scenic Impact and the Cost of Electricity. It can also be accessed at the following link:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Legislative-Update.html?soid=1103684772079&aid=8t7IRSQ5ZFM…

Listing a species as threatened means that any trafficking, injuring or killing of that animal becomes prohibited, but unlike endangered species, some exemptions can be carved out.

In the case of the Northern Long-Eared Bat, logging and expansion of rights of way for transportation or utility construction got an exemption, as long as the activities avoided any known caves or trees occupied by the bats. Wind farms did not receive an exemption.…

If you are interested in the Katahdin Woods National Park concept that is brewing, there is a teleconference at 7PM tonight (4/1/15). There is a possibility that industrial wind power could come up as a topic as First Wind's plans are getting closer and closer to Katahdin, e.g., Molunkus.

You may be able to ask questions if you call in. Or you might at least be able to raise the issue of 600' tall flashing and thrashing industrial wind turbines potentially despoiling the…

Hearing begins today (Wednesday, Apr 1, 2015) at 1:00PM. The exact time for this particular bill is TBD.

SP0090, LD 252 An Act To Increase Transparency of Entities Receiving Substantial Amounts of Public Funding -- Room 438 State House

Listen live on the Web at: http://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/JUD

After…

The White House's estimate is based on hope - hope that some as-yet unimagined future technology will change the economics of wind power, making it more cost effective than fossil fuel-based generation.......expanding wind penetration beyond about 10 percent requires a significant increase in the amount of available "spinning reserve" - instantly available power generation from an alternative source that can be brought online whenever the wind is too strong or too weak to supply enough power…

Base-rate residential service from provincial utility Hydro-Québec clocks in at 5.6 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to its website — about one-third that of the typical customer in New England (Green Mountain Power's base rate for residences is 14.7 cents/kWh)........Fed by Québec's seemingly limitless resource of running water, banks of hydro turbines provide steady, reliable "base-load" power. Some turbines, too, can be reserved in standby mode, ready at a moment's notice to…

If a bare majority of 52% supports renewable energy OR energy efficiency, then perhaps only a minority supports renewable energy. Does a yet smaller minority support industrial wind? Considering the Maine media have been feeding their audiences with a steady diet of pro-wind propaganda for years, it is highly likely that such a minority of Mainers supporting wind would shrivel up significantly more once educated that wind power has high negative…

Maybe Bowdoin and other campuses in Maine would be open to hearing the facts that wind turbines have nothing but symbolic value, e.g., Robert Bryce's "Climate Change Scarecrows".

Excerpt: (from Bowdoin Orient's Editorial Board)

We are beginning to see students who do not support divestment speak out. Kuangji Chen ’15 wrote a detailed op-ed…

David Littell said he wants to continue participating in cases involving wind power contracts........ By law, commissioners can remain on the job after their term has ended, if a new commissioner hasn’t been nominated and confirmed by the Legislature.

http://www.pressherald.com/2015/03/25/puc-commissioner-plans-to-stay-after-his-term-expires/

A decision by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to give wind developers an extra year to bring projects online and still collect the $0.023/kWh production tax credit (PTC) sets the stage for two years of robust growth in the US market.

http://www.windaction.org/posts/42391-analysis-irs-grants-developers-an-extra-12-months

This candy coated AP release does not tell the real story.

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/maine/2015/03/23/cmp-nears-completion-5-year-14b-power-grid-upgrade/1672280

This $1.4 billion travesty (gift to the wind industry) demands an investigation. Please read more at the link below and prepare to get involved. If we do not hold the Baldacci PUC…

While you may not have the time to read this latest piece of pro-wind propaganda, please download the file for your future reference and browse through the table of contents.

http://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/WindVision_Report_final.pdf

This underscores the need for the…

Click on the following link to read FMM's testimony in favor of LD 132, An Act to Remove the 100 Megawatt Limit on Hydropower under the Renewable Resources Laws.

FMM%20Testimony%20on%20LD%20132.doc

The EUT Committee's work session covering this bill is Wednesday, Mar 25, 2015 from 1PM-5PM.…

LePage Seeks to Remove Cap on Maine Hydropower

The cap was put in place several years ago to encourage renewable energy generation, and it exempts wind power. LePage says the cap prevents Maine from accessing cheaper power from Canada, and he's trying the get the Legislature to agree.…