November 10, 2011
Letters, Maine

Pig in a poke

Bangor Daily News, bangordailynews.com 10 November 2011

Let’s be honest, the Maine Citizens for Clean Energy initiative is all about forcing mountaintop wind power on Maine. The coalition is not a citizens group but a collaboration of Maine’s wind development lobbyists in disguise. It’s bad enough that the NRCM has chosen to mire itself deeper into its commitment to mountaintop wind development – even more so that it is teaming with corporate wind development interests whose singular goal is to turn mountaintops into cash.

The parties to this two-part coalition need each other. Their respective, exaggerated arguments in favor of mountaintop wind development – big job gains for the development interests and big environmental gains for the “green” groups – are so pitifully weak that they’re likely hoping for a little synergy.

That these groups – five years after Maine’s first wind project went into operation – are still unable to articulate a concrete argument supporting their claims seems to matter little to anyone in the coalition.

It’s no surprise that Reed & Reed and the “jobs” groups want to use the force of law to feather their beds. Seeing the NRCM, Environment Maine and others hitching their wagon to the corporate wind lobby to sell Mainers a pig in a poke is a real shame, though.

Hopefully, Mainers will recognize this wolf in sheep’s clothing. Maybe they will see they are being used by these groups to turn ideology and corporate welfare into statute. Sadly, this coalition won’t be telling Mainers what they’re really up to.

Alan Michka

Lexington Township


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/11/10/pig-in-a-poke/