When the powerful agree on massive big $$$$$$ projects behind closed doors and begin their efforts to ram these projects down the public's throat, it is our experience from wind projects that most barriers to final approval somehow are eventually overcome by the developer.
However, along the way, the developer and his supporters repeatedly talk about these barriers which gives the affected citizens a false sense of hope. A lulling into complacency. At the same time the developers and their supporters are dishing out such false hope, they are furiously working behind the scenes, often working the decision makers, increasing the stranglehold on a favorable outcome which they believe is their right from their palatial estates in places such as New York, Boston and San Francisco.
The author of the piece below writes "........“perfect” is not an option and “ideal” is not commensurate with the challenges our electric grid faces." This would seem to imply that this massive transmission project and the massive feckless wind project it would enable solves challenges faced by the electric grid. In fact, these projects not only do not strengthen the electric grid but rather endanger it. As noted in Dan McKay's recent post at https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/we-are-headed-to-a-pla..., if these projects come to pass, Maine is headed over the cliff. These projects don't help the grid. These projects will break it.
The transmission and wind developers would like nothing more than complacency on the part of the people. The fact is, that the people of Maine who want this transmission project stopped, hold the power to do just that. But the very opposite of drawing false sustenance from the touted regulatory process must be the approach selected.
The following is about wind and how to fight it. It is written by a brilliant and highly educated man who learned the hard way how one must fight these things if they wish to succeed. I believe it is very applicable to the transmission fight. Some of the language is a little rough, but I do recommend that people read it and save themselves a tremendous amount of trouble.
Remember, the process is set up to help the developers, not the taxpayer, ratepayer or farmer who simply wants the peace and quiet that existed before these interlopers came to town.
Please read and consider this advice strongly.
https://www.windtaskforce.org/page/how-to-fight-by-clm
November 30, 2023
LS Power faces lengthy process for proposed transmission line
Tyler Hadyniak is the chair of the Freedom Planning Board.
EXCERPTS
Since LS Power became a household name in July, I could talk to 10 different people and hear 10 different takes on what LS must do to begin construction of its proposed transmission line. I am chair of the town of Freedom Planning Board, the municipal body that will be tasked, like in many towns, with granting or denying an eventual permit application from LS Power in our community. I felt spurred to do my own research — which I present not as formal legal advice or the formal position of the board itself — to clarify the process LS Power faces.
Misconception No. 1: Once LS Power is granted a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Public Utilities Commission, it will automatically be vested with the power to use eminent domain.
This is simply not true. LS must petition the utilities commission to approve any eminent domain requests — which is not allowed in many circumstances and carries an immensely high burden of proof.
Misconception No. 2: LS Power can be “suddenly” granted a certificate.
This is not true. LS should first complete their public outreach and alternative route selection, then they must apply for a certificate from the utilities commission. Before the commission grants a certificate, it must alert affected parties and municipalities and schedule a comment period and a public hearing.
Misconception No. 3: Once LS receives a certificate from the utilities commission, it can begin constructing its transmission line.
I’m sure LS wishes it was this easy. LS must at least do the following things before starting construction: receive a certificate from the commission; receive, or be denied, municipal permits; potentially ask the utilities commission to exempt it from local ordinances; get approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection; and get approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. All of these steps will have opportunity for comment and participation by concerned residents and formal intervenors...........................
..............................Personally, I hope this project succeeds and is narrowly tailored to do as little harm as practical to the environment and affected Mainers, keeping in mind that “perfect” is not an option and “ideal” is not commensurate with the challenges our electric grid faces. But LS has a long road ahead with many potential barriers. Like a sculptor who whittles away at undesirable chunks of stone, I trust our government processes will whittle away at undesirable aspects of this project to produce a final result that will fit Maine’s clean energy goals, yet have as little negative impact as practical. Being involved in those processes is how we, as concerned citizens, have input into what the final sculpture looks like.
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Comment
Sounds like Freedom needs a new chair, almost seems like the existing chair has something to gain from it.
Well, Mr. Freedom Planning Board Chairman. consider these "small" issues that require approvals before this thing happens. As the PUC stated in the Request for Proposals:
Looks like the only action that helps your cause is E, A late session rammed thru resolve that had no roll calls in neither the House or the Senate. There were calls for reconsideration of this approval offered for the upcoming session, but Senator Jackson, the bulldozer, would not allow it to be presented.
A. ISO-NE approval depends on upgrading the New England grid, perhaps all the way to Massachusetts as Mass. has 40% interest in this thing. An expensive task that will hit L S Power with second thoughts or a request to pass on additional project costs. ISO-NE is also coming up against a rock and a hard place due to its priority for reliable generation to match intermittent generation. ISO-NE must also consider such a project would completely eliminate Maine from reverting back to pre-1999 electric autonomy where Maine established its own reliability standards at far less expense to the ratepayers.
B. FERC is a federal agency that generally complies with the whims of politicians in charge. 50-50 chance on that approval.
C. Maine PUC is mandated by law to examine this proposed project as to needs of the Maine people. There will be public hearings and I suspect many of your town folk will be speaking. Hope you can attend.
D. Environmental Protection Agencies like the DEP who represents Maine and also will conduct public hearing(s) . They are particularity influenced by the opinions of abutting landowners to the project. Hope you will attend.
F. Local Planning boards and land use boards who have the most intimate knowledge how people in their jurisdictions feel about the project. Will you throw them under the bus, sir.
And one other thing that was stated in the request for proposals and emphasized in Bold print in a separate heading : " NOTE REGARDING EVALUATION OF COST: The Commission’s evaluation will focus on the cost and benefits to Maine ratepayers."
U.S. Sen Angus King
Maine as Third World Country:
CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power
Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.
Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT
******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********
(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/
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Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future
"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."
https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/
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