filed: September 3, 2010 • Letters, Maine

Wind industry scam

Credit: Sun Journal, www.sunjournal.com 3 Septembeer 2010 ~~

I thank Naomi Schalit for her excellent investigative reporting on the dark side of Maine’s expedited wind law and the shady politics that unraveled 50 years of mountain and ridge line protection with a single stroke of the governor’s pen.

The questionable motives and benefits behind this rush to industrialize Maine’s mountains need to be investigated, as well, before Mainers are faced with soaring electric bills.

According to the CEO of ISO New England, Maine will be sharing the $10 billion cost of the proposed transmission line upgrade with five other states in order to “share the risk associated with expensive wind power projects.”

Ratepayers, brace yourselves.

This upgrade is going to drive out many existing businesses and thwart new business investments. Jobs, tourism, property values and quality of life will suffer.

We pay a monthly fee to maintain Maine’s transmission lines, which are perfectly adequate for Maine’s needs. This upgrade is a wind industry scam.

Do we really need to fast-track risky, expensive and environmentally destructive wind farms when southern New England can buy cheap hydro from Quebec?

Maine already exports 40 percent of what is generated and the portfolio is one of the greenest in the nation.

What is needed is a permanent moratorium on mountaintop industrial wind, and a government interested in mandating and subsidizing energy efficiency to help all Mainers survive through the tough times ahead.

Penny Gray, Carthage

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