Where the Maine House of Representatives candidates stand on wind power

Click on your House district number below to jump to the responses from your local candidates, which are being published unedited. Don’t know what your district number is? Search for the name of your town; we’ve included maps for each district to clarify towns that are divided into multiple districts.

https://bangordailynews.com/2018/10/25/politics/heres-where-the-mai...

QUESTION:

Should the state expand incentives to encourage renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power? Why or why not?

RESPONSE: (The following are responses for simply the first few districts; please click on the above link to see the candidate in your district)

Deane Rykerson (D) – Incumbent

Yes. Renewable energy creates jobs, lessens health problems, enhances Maine’s environment, stops money from leaving the state for fossil fuels, and slows the effects of climate disruption.

Allyson M. Cavaretta (R)

Incentives for renewable energy technologies as part of Maine’s overall energy portfolio is a worthwhile discussion as long as one recognizes that incentives cannot come at the expense of rate payers. Since Maine is a net energy exporter, the market is doing a good. The price of transmission has increased 250% over that same period and that may bear looking at.

Bradley S. Moulton (R)

Lessening of reliance upon fossil fuels and breaking down electric service into more manageable regional units striving to work towards a balanced, or zero, energy consumption should be incorporated in any long-range energy program for the state. That would also include solar and wind, but a whole lot more.

Charles Galemmo (D)

Yes. There are more solar jobs in Massachusetts than coal jobs in the US. Maine has the lowest number of clean energy jobs per capita of any state in New England. Further, renewable energy on the micro-grid is much less expensive than building large generating plants and power lines.

Noah Cobb (U)

I believe in the technologies but until they are more efficient the state should not be subsidizing. The free market should decide.

Christopher W. Babbidge (D) – Incumbent

Renewable energy is good for Maine’s air quality, the respiratory and skin health of our children, and new business growth. We should promote incentives permitting lower-income Mainers to also benefit. Community solar should be expanded. The U.S. is in danger of falling behind in the technology race to harness solar and wind, but Maine’s solar entrepreneurs and the University of Maine’s ocean wind initiative are positioned to be industry leaders if Maine government permits their growth.

Diane M. Denk (D)

The days of dependence on fossil fuels must end. Burning oil is costly and bad for the environment. We must turn to green energy such as wind, solar, and hydro. We should protect our natural resources, our forests, our water quality, our shoreline, and our wildlife before they are further harmed. Providing tax credits to homes, businesses, and farms that go green and weatherize will result it a healthier state. We also must never elect another Governor who denies climate change.

James Booth (R)

Expanding incentives means taking money from one area and putting it in another. I don’t want to take money from our most vulnerable just to subsidize millionaires.

Ryan M. Fecteau (D) – Incumbent

Absolutely. We are falling behind many other states that have recognized the economic opportunities that solar and wind generation offer. In fact, we are losing young people to employers in other states that have been provided incentives to grow and implement their technologies. The average median wage in the solar industry, for example, is $26 per hour and a national census reports that 79% of companies do not require a bachelor’s degree for new hires.

Victoria Foley (D)

Yes. Diversifying the sources of our energy is beneficial for jobs, for the environment, and for our energy security.

Lori K. Gramlich (D)

Absolutely. Providing incentives for renewable energy technologies are investments in our future – not only are these evolving technologies good for our climate and environment, they are also sound economic development initiatives, in that new jobs are created due to these advancing technologies. We need to shift our reliance from fossil fuels to emerging renewable resources.

Donna Bailey (D) – Incumbent

Yes Maine should do everything possible to encourage renewable energy technologies. Almost every survey indicates the lack of affordable energy is an impediment to more businesses locating in the State. We need to expand and invest in our renewable fuel and energy alternatives to lower our energy costs, both for homeowners and for businesses. Renewable energy jobs are also a fast growing industry that we should expand and attract more of to the State.

Frederick Samp (U)

The development of renewable energy technologies will become increasingly important as the public becomes less tolerant of the drawbacks to traditional fossil fuel-based energy sources and as governmental responses to climate change require major technology shifts. As these changes take place, the cost differential between renewable and traditional technologies will likely diminish and the need for incentives will be reduced. Nevertheless, incentive programs will probably still be necessary.

Stephen R. DuPuis (R)

One thing the State of Maine should do is allow Small Wind Energy systems and home solar projects to sell all of there excess power to the grid and not just allow a credit against their usage. This is the case in New Hampshire and allows the economics of renewable power to not only benefit the homeowners but allows the rest of the consumers of the electric grid to benefit from renewable energy.

Margaret O’Neil (D)

We should absolutely encourage renewable energy technologies in Maine. After missed opportunities in the previous legislature, particularly with solar, the next legislature has no time to waste.

Joseph Lynch (R)

Too many of these are schemes to pay off politically connected people with tax dollars and have nothing to do with conservation.

Dave Durrell (D)

Yes! We let a great opportunity with wind power get away a few years ago, but Maine still has abundant sources of wind, solar and tidal power available. We should be encouraging their development, which ultimately means investment, jobs and dollars in our state.

Anne-Marie Mastraccio (D) – Incumbent

Yes, I believe renewable energy technologies have the potential to be an extremely viable sector of our economy and incentivizing these businesses helps us all. Renewable energy sources are a necessary part of any plan to address climate change.

The rest of the responses are here:

https://bangordailynews.com/2018/10/25/politics/heres-where-the-mai...

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