Too many Taminos in Maine?
New Study Finds RPS Standards Hurting Maine’s Economy
Governor LePage advocates for reforms in Maine’s energy laws
AUGUSTA – Today, Governor Paul LePage released the following statement in regards to the study, The Economic Impact of Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, conducted by the Maine Heritage Policy Center and the Beacon Hill Institute for Public Policy Research:
“By 2017, this study predicts energy prices will increase by $145 million for consumers, costing the State of Maine about 1,000 jobs. We already pay a statewide total of approximately $220 million more per year for electricity than the national average. This study shows that special interests are hurting Maine’s economy and costing us jobs. We can no longer embrace the status quo.
“Unfortunately, low cost, reliable, and green renewables, such as hydro power, are discriminated against in Augusta. Instead, those with powerful political connections have forced higher cost renewables onto the backs of Maine ratepayers. Common sense dictates that cost must be a factor when evaluating all new energy sources.
“Reforming our laws to optimize our renewable energy production will put more money in the pockets of Mainers, bring more jobs to our state, and improve our quality of life. I encourage the people of Maine to tell their legislators that we need to lower the cost of energy.”
Background:
On September 26, 2012, the Maine Heritage Policy Center and Beacon Hill Institute for Public Policy Research released a study which found that Maine’s current Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) Law, which mandates the minimum and maximum amount of energy consumers must purchase from various sources, will raise the cost of electricity in Maine by 8% in 2017. This 8% increase amounts to approximately $145 million in statewide consumption costs, and would cost Maine approximately 995 jobs, $85 million in real disposable income, decrease investment in the state by $11 million, and increase the average household electricity bill by $80 per year.
For the full study, please visit: http://www.mainepolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/Path-to-Prosperity-Maine-RPS-Standards-092712.pdf
Barbara Skolaut says:
September 30, 2012 at 12:10 pm
WUWT needs a “Like” button, Justthinkin. ;-p
I agree, I like Jo Nova’s theme where replies are threaded too… Anthony?, how ’bout a change?
The most frustrating thing of all is that advocates of renewable energy projects turn the IQ off on standards of low bid contracts or recognizing that commercial roof top solar cost are 1.5 times the utility scale projects and residential jobs are 2 to 5 times higher cost per watt. The low cost leaders of the maturing renewable energy sector are well below the installed cost of recent projects and approach grid replacement costs but no one cares. Those sad facts pretty much define the politicized nature of energy policy in place of best practices and common sense. Meanwhile Obama and Secr. Chu forge ahead with more large grants to start-ups as if to punctuate their standard line of not picking winners.
“mandates the minimum and maximum amount of energy consumers must purchase from various sources…”
So the governments of the NE states have created this great disaster, and now they are sheepishly calling for a… government fix! “Reforming our laws to optimize our renewable energy production will put more money in the pockets of Mainers, bring more jobs to our state, and improve our quality of life. I encourage the people of Maine to tell their legislators that we need to lower the cost of energy.”
This is just cheering on the faithful, assuring them that mandates will work, because the legislators can make it so.
I live in Maine and spend between $150.00 and $200.00 per month in electricity… and I heat with wood. every time I see a windmill I am either Angry or Sad… I am not shy and tell anyone who will stand still my opinion….Oh well I might start drilling for oil in my “dooryahd” (dooryard, or front yard
for you non Mainers)
“Common sense dictates that cost must be a factor when evaluating all new energy sources.”
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You know It’s getting bad when you have to remind people of the obvious.
Maine doesn’t learn from its mistakes. It went through the exact same thing in the 90’s in a hangover from the last time the “green energy” fad came around. Then, as now, it had followed California right off an energy cliff Maine could not afford. As a result, Maine spent hundreds of $ millions buying out “renewable energy” contracts, mostly at that time for wood burners.
Mainer’s mistake is not letting the free market find a solution
As a former Mainer, I suggest everyone here google the term Angus King Wind.
If the results come up Daily Bail Green Energy Blues, just read the numerous comments (and links), especially toward the end regarding former Maine Governor, Angus King.
That particular thread is currently a work in progress.
OMG! That’s a proposal to AMEND THE STATE CONSTITUTION! To “set a standard for renewable energy”. Have you guys lost your minds? That doesn’t belong in a state constitution. It shouldn’t even be a law, but a constitutional amendment? You gotta be kidding.
Anthony’s already answered that in a couple other threads. By running a pretty vanilla WordPress theme without a bunch of problematical WordPress plugins, and running it on WordPress – he gets a stable and resilient blog. As has been reported here, Jo Nova’s site has been down numerous times due to DDOS attacks. I have no doubt WUWT has been similarly attacked, but WordPress – being cloud hosted – can fend them off. So we have to do without the cool widgets. Whatever, it’s the content I’m interested in.
Maine’s high power costs rival that of neighboring Nova Scotia where the local monopoly power company Nova Scotia Power has been forced by law pay for wind turbines and tidal power generation. And Nova Scotia’s power rates are now just about the highest in Canada.
This is a recurring theme; force power companies to pay for renewable and jack up power rates. High power rates are built into the cost of everything so the cost of everything rises incrementally, therby delivering higher sales tax revenues to governments. Simple and neat.
I live in Maine and the cost of electricity is nearly 16 cents per kw hr.-among the highest in the country. This puts a considerable drag on the local economy.
I’m in maine and many of us didn’tfall for all this.
we’re trying to turn back the side of the southern part of the state.
Turn Maine into a park for only the wealthy to reside and the rest can visit from time to time with the proper permits and purchased ticket and impact fees reservation style of course.
“””””……Louis says:
September 30, 2012 at 7:03 pm
“Common sense dictates that cost must be a factor when evaluating all new energy sources.”…..”””””
Well how about paying attention to the “energy capital” required to make this “renewable” energy available.
Cost problems, are usually strong indicators, that is is a renewable energy wasting scheme, and not a renewable energy supply scheme.
Simple economic problems can be solved with a Government stroke of a pen; but a net energy loss situation cannot be disappeared by Government intervention.
We do know that we got to our present energy supply systems, by “bootstrapping”, not government subsidies. Starting with our own manual labor energy, and the necessary gatherable foods to keep us going, we progressed to domesticate animals to pull plows and the like; until eventually we had fossils and nuclear. That could never have happened, if any of those systems required more energy input than output.
Same test applies to today’s “renewables”. If they can’t duplicate themselves using only their own energy output, then they are NOT an energy source.