DEP Testimony by B. Blake on Bowers Wind Project - Environmental groups taking wind money

The mission statement of Natural Resources Council of Maine states, in part, that it is "a nonprofit membership organization protecting, restoring, and conserving Maine's environment, now and for future generations." 

In 2011, the NRCM position regarding Bowers Mt. wind project was "neither for nor against". What has changed? More money from the wind industry and their cohorts? Surely the facts from First Wind’s production reports to FERC should clearly tell NRCM that destroying Bowers Mt. and ruining the magnificent Downeast Grand Lakes region is not worth supporting if NRCM is true to its mission statement.

Did Maine Audubon, when it presented testimony to DEP disclose that First Wind is $10,000+ Eagle donor? That CMP and Iberdrola, another wind developer is a $5,000+ Falcon donor?  That Reed & Reed that owns the only crane that puts up these gigantic machines is also a Falcon donor? That Patriot Renewables, another wind developer and Sargent Company that did the site work at Rollins in Lincoln Lakes are Osprey level donors?  We must discredit Maine Audubon’s support as having been clearly bought. It is a shame that they care more about wind power money than they do eagles, falcons, and ospreys.

Maine Chapter of the Sierra Club is simply being hypocritical in the conflicts inherent in their mission statement, which includes verbiage such as: "protect the wild places of the Earth" and "protect Maine’s wilderness heritage". "For over a century the Sierra Club has been devoted to the conservation of our forests, mountains, rivers, coasts and other natural areas." 

By supporting blasting away Bowers Mt. and placing 459 ft tall turbines above lakes that are clearly scenic resources of state or national significance, I don’t believe Sierra Club leaders have ever left their Portland offices and experienced the vast national treasure that are the Downeast Grand Lakes.  The Maine Chapter unabashedly follows the national lead and National Sierra Club has been bought off by the wind industry. 

It’s too bad, because if Sierra Club founder John Muir were at this hearing, he would vehemently oppose this project.  What he wrote in 1912 regarding Hetch Hetchy can be adapted to the destruction of Bowers Mt. and the Downeast Grand Lakes: "These temple-destroyers, devotees of ravaging commercialism, seem to have a perfect contempt for Nature, and instead of lifting their eyes to the God of the mountains, lift them to the Almighty Dollar."

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Comment by Hart Daley on May 19, 2015 at 1:19pm

John Muir was a very wise man! Too many people are motivated by the "almighty dollar". You can't worship money and worship the Lord!

Comment by Martha Thacker on November 26, 2013 at 10:20am

Brilliant Brad!

Comment by Harrison Roper on November 26, 2013 at 10:10am

Thank you, Brad. Well said!  Harrison Roper  Houlton/Danforth

 

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 on the Maine expedited wind law

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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