Long Islander's Blog – June 2018 Archive (29)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The wind and solar industries hope demand for carbon-free power from U.S. cities, states and corporations can offset headwinds from President Donald Trump’s tax policy and tariffs, developers said this week............“More and more corporations and consumers are saying ‘We want 100 percent renewable energy,’” she said, adding city and state governments are adopting renewable-friendly policies to reflect that growing demand................Meanwhile, the industry is…

At a time when the U.S. newspaper industry is most often described as “dying” and “decimated” and publishers agree that “flat is the new up” with regard to profitability, a lot of eyes are on Maine.

They’re looking here, not because the picture is significantly brighter but because Maine’s newspaper industry is now unlike any other in the country. There’s not another state that has a single individual owning the majority of its daily newspapers, as is suddenly the case here.…

Avangrid Inc. says storms are increasing in frequency and intensity, as it learned in Maine’s October 2017 windstorm, which left hundreds of thousands of customers in the dark for days.

Michael West, an Avangrid spokesperson, says the company is responding with a 10-year program to improve the system’s resiliency.…

QUESTION

Renewable energy sources like wind and large scale solar benefit Maine’s wildlife by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but can also bring negative outcomes, including bird mortality and habitat degradation. How would you balance the benefits of renewable energy with wildlife and habitat impacts?

RESPONSE

Balancing the environmental benefits and impacts is the role of the environmental review process, handled through DEP…

The Lewiston City Council unanimously approved the Central Maine Power company’s plan for a clean energy DC to AC conversion station.

It will be located near the power substation in north Lewiston.

[CMP inks deal crucial to $950M plan to pipe hydropower…

New land-based wind development in the region has slowed, challenged in part by uncertainty over transmission line connections and competition between state clean-energy mandates. The real action is happening offshore, where Northeast states are cutting deals for giant wind farms.

In Maine, specifically, new wind development has largely stalled, held back in part by political opposition and technical challenges.............................. In northern and eastern Maine, a lack of new…

A multimillion-dollar project that would bring hydroelectric power from Quebec to Massachusetts through Maine received an official nod of support from the City Council last week, as Lewiston is set to become a centerpiece of the proposal.

The Central Maine Power Co. project, known as New England Clean Energy Connect, or NECEC, received unanimous support from the council because of its potential tax impact for Lewiston.

The project would channel 1,200 megawatts of energy…

Avangrid-CMP insists it’s too costly to spend an additional $37 million to tunnel under the river at the Kennebec Gorge, or string a longer route to cross upstream at Harris Station, Maine’s largest hydroelectric dam.

More here:

https://www.pressherald.com/2018/06/24/for-renewable-energy-advocates-a-lot-riding-on-kennebec-gorge/

Second…

The Trump administration on Thursday released a blueprint for a massive overhaul of the federal bureaucracy, one that if implemented would touch virtually every agency and the way all Americans receive government services.…

Maine also needs ambitious targets for large-scale clean energy. Requiring at least 40 percent of power generation to be renewable (primarily grid-scale wind and solar) by 2030 will advance Maine’s energy independence and resilience, boost economic development, and ensure cleaner electricity that provides even greater emissions savings from electric vehicles and heat pumps..................…

The newspaper's previous owner, S. Donald Sussman gave hedge fund D.E. Shaw its start by staking them $28 million. D.E. Shaw was the longtime owner of Maine's leading wind developer, First Wind. See:

Billionaire husband of US Congresswoman pushed green energy in his newspapers

The newspaper has the audacity to write "So why waste time with a wind…

“The governor will release the names of the members of the wind commission when their first meeting is scheduled, which will likely be later summer or early September, after the public comments have been received,” McGrath replied via email.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,It is known that McGrath will chair the 14-member panel. That fact is disclosed in a sworn statement filed by McGrath on June 4, as …

Former Governor Baldacci, vice chair of Avangrid fails again. Although this is NY, it's a good example of how David can beat Goliath. 

In a letter to Hopkinton’s town board, an attorney for Atlantic Wind – the parent company of Avangrid Renewables – said executives “will cease all development efforts” after nearly a decade working on the proposed North Ridge Wind…

Some of the more important articles in this issue are:

Retail Electricity Prices for sample countries

Wind Turbines Threaten Property Values in Upstate NY

Billions in U.S. solar projects shelved after Trump panel tariff

Texas Wind Power Story — Part One

Sound (and Light) Reasons to Tilt at Windmills

Judge’s ruling against Minnesota wind farm causes alarm for advocates

The Observed Impacts of Wind Turbines on Local Vegetation…

If the bill survives debate in the House of Representatives, it will be among the most progressive in the nation.

BOSTON – Massachusetts would run on 100-percent renewable power by 2047 under comprehensive energy legislation passed by the state Senate Thursday night.

The idealistic goal would be reached by increasing the state’s renewable portfolio standard by 3 percent every year, instead of the current 1 percent. The RPS dictates how much renewable energy…

“Give me just one generation of youth, and I'll transform the whole world.”

― Vladimir Lenin

Article

She also discussed the strict regulations of the industry and the process of constructing the massive 500 foot tall structures. The tour was very educational and afterward the 4-H members made the hike up to the top of Saddleback Peaks where they enjoyed a picnic…

Central Maine Power Co.’s plan to build a transmission line from the Canadian border through western Maine to bring hydropower to Massachusetts passed a critical step Thursday, when the Maine utility and Massachusetts electricity distributors said they had signed a contract.

The contract, which was not made public, reportedly details the terms and energy price for the project. Through those prices, Massachusetts ratepayers ultimately will foot the bill for CMP’s $950 million New…

RoxWind LLC Application for Small Scale Wind Energy Certification

Below you will find a complete copy of our application to the Maine DEP for Small Scale Wind Energy Certification

Section 0 - Cover Page & Table of Contents

0_cover_and_contents.pdf

Download File

Section 1 - Project Description

1_project_description.pdf

Download File

1b_project_civil_plans.pdf

Download…

This "news reporting" is extremely biased, for example: (My comments are in bold)

Massachusetts has led the transition, ordering its utilities to purchase 1,600 megawatts of offshore wind by 2027, equal to 10 percent to 15 percent of the state’s annual electricity consumption. Mr. Turkel, do you not see fit to question the concept of the government ORDERING ratepayers to buy a particular product?

The Massachusetts…

BDN

The Natural Resources Council of Maine criticized the commission’s vote on Tuesday to reconsider the contract terms, saying it was a “bad faith” decision that reflects Gov. Paul LePage’s anti-wind stance........“This administration will do anything to thwart renewable energy development, whether it comes from international investors or our own University of Maine,” Dylan Voorhees, NRCM’s clean energy director, said in the release."…