I write to urge my Senator, Garrett Mason, and Representative, Paul Chace, to support LD 1649, the solar energy policy under consideration in Augusta. That bill would create 800 new jobs in Maine’s solar industry, help keep young people in Maine, lower electricity rates for Mainers, and grow Maine’s economy by supporting Maine solar energy companies.

The governor and his legislative allies are working to kill a bill that creates solar jobs, lowers energy costs and moves Maine forward on clean energy. They want to block the bill, or replace it with a do-nothing amendment, in order to hand control of Maine’s solar future to the LePage-appointed PUC, which has the inclination to weaken or eliminate net-metering and would jeopardize hundreds of existing solar jobs.

Maine is in last place in the region on solar and solar jobs. These attacks threaten hundreds of existing solar jobs, risking Maine falling even further behind.

Instead of falling behind, it is time to look forward: Clean energy technology, quality technology jobs and investments in modern energy systems are common sense for Maine’s future. Bipartisan lawmakers, utilities, Maine solar companies, the Maine Municipal Association, the Public Advocate, diverse businesses, environmental groups, community leaders and others all support this bill.

Lawmakers have a choice: Line up with the governor’s anti-solar ideology and risk hundreds of jobs in Maine’s already fragile solar industry; or work with a group of stakeholders who don’t usually agree and came up with win-win solutions that benefit Maine’s economy, environment and energy costs.

Nancy Gilbert, Durham