AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage says drilling for oil in waters off the state’s coast could increase energy independence and provide more heating oil for Mainers. LePage in a Maine Public interview on Tuesday said the state has recently weathered a cold snap and severe shortages in petroleum products. President Donald Trump’s […]
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Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Paul LePage blocks new wind energy permits
AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul LePage imposed a moratorium on new wind energy permits in Maine on Wednesday while establishing a commission that will meet behind closed doors to study the economic impacts of wind turbines on the state’s tourism industry. LePage, a long-time critic of wind energy, issued an executive order creating the Maine Wind […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Sen. Angus King renews push for more energy independence
PORTLAND (AP) — Maine Sen. Angus King is introducing a bill he says will create a push for greater energy independence. King, an independent, is calling the legislation the Next Generation Grid Resources and Infrastructure Development Act, or the GRID Act. He says it’s designed to use federal resources to support an electricity grid that’s […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage appoints former energy executive to administration
AUGUSTA (AP) — Republican Gov. Paul LePage says he has hired a former energy executive as his new energy chief. LePage said Tuesday that former Downeast Energy Corp. Chief Financial Officer Steven McGrath began his tenure as director of the governor’s energy office in late August. The governor said McGrath for the past four years […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Hampden waste-to-energy plant on track to open next spring
HAMPDEN (AP) — The groups that are partnering to build a $69 million waste-to-energy plant in Hampden say it’s on track to open in April. Fiberight CEO Craig Stuart-Paul says the road construction system has been completed and the site is now being cleared. Construction on the 144,000-square-foot biogas plant is expected to begin later […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Angus King, Susan Collins worry hackers could leave U.S. in dark
With hackers taking aim at America’s electric grid, including nuclear plants, Maine’s two senators are pushing legislation they hope will keep the lights on. “Time is running out” to improve the system, said U.S. Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee. “It’s vital that we act now to bolster […]
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New oil, gas recovery techniques aid diplomacy
Sophisticated American and Canadian energy industries have given the Free World an economic boost and a powerful diplomatic weapon. The North American “fracking” revolution — hydraulic fracturing to tap vast reservoirs of “tight” natural gas and oil — has altered the world’s strategic calculus. U.S. and Canadian firms began experimenting with advanced oil and gas […]
Posted inMaine
LePage signs measure aimed at reducing electricity costs for some
AUGUSTA — A proposal to let consumers compare electricity costs from different providers more easily secured the signature of Gov. Paul LePage to become law Tuesday. “This new law includes common-sense protections that will keep Mainers from getting ripped off by unscrupulous companies,” said its sponsor, Sen. Nate Libby, D-Lewiston. Libby, the assistant minority leader, […]
Posted inMaine
Libby seeks to offer more info to electricity consumers
AUGUSTA — Hoping to provide more information to consumers about the price they pay for electricity, state Sen. Nate Libby is pushing a measure to give greater protection to people who may be paying too much. “This bill is a big deal,” the Lewiston Democrat said. “It will help customers be better informed about their […]
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Green power advocates press regulators to adopt solar-friendly rules
AUGUSTA — Solar power advocates are asking Maine utility regulators to reconsider a recent ruling they say will crimp the growth of a much-needed new energy source. A coalition of critics filed a formal petition Tuesday with the Maine Public Utilities Commission calling on it to take another look at its decision to phase out […]