wind

The Wind Power Question

By Matt Jacobson
September 21, 2009

The Governor is leaving today on another trade mission, this time to Spain and Germany. According to the Maine International Trade Center, the state-funded organization that is organizing the trip, this mission is different. This time, instead of focusing on a geographic area, the mission is focusing on wind energy.

According to various news reports, the mission will generate contacts and maybe some investment in Maine. I wish them luck.

But while we offer our good wishes for success, it might be useful to understand how far behind our state is in the wind-power game. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Texas is the national leader with almost 10,000 megawatts installed or under construction. Maine has about 100 megawatts installed or under construction. For Maine to get into the Top 10 states in capacity, we need to increase our wind capacity by 882%.

States like Texas, Iowa, California, Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois, New York, Colorado, Indiana and Oklahoma (the top 10 in wind power capacity) all offer significant tax incentives for wind power construction. Each of these states have improved their electric grids to accept this power. Each has streamlined their regulatory process to allow this energy development.

Maine, on the other hand, offers no tax incentives for wind power projects. Our state’s electric grid is verging on antiquated, and our regulatory process for wind projects often adds up to months and months of inaction before a project can be built (and that’s if it even receives approval).

A sales and marketing strategy is important – we need to show the world that we are capable and interested in becoming a leader in the wind power industry. But if the world responds, are we prepared?

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Matt Jacobson is the President and CEO of Maine and Company, and a current Republican candidate for Governor of Maine.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published at the Jacobson for Governor Blog

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5 Responses to “The Wind Power Question”

  1. Alex Hammer

    22. Sep, 2009

    Matt Jacobson raises some good initial points. More generally, I would like to see addressed:

    Governor Baldacci Says Time is Right for Alternative Energy – Alex: Definitely!, but also more than meets the eye
    http://www.hammer2010.com/2007/11/governor-baldacci-says-time-is-right.html

  2. Stephanie

    28. Sep, 2009

    “Maine, on the other hand, offers no tax incentives for wind power projects.”

    That’s not true. TransCanada got a multi-million dollar TIF. What does Maine get out of the project? Four permanent jobs. There is no point in us upgrading our grid or inviting more wind projects until we can arrange benefits for the people of Maine. We already produce more power than we use.

    I recommend that anyone who wants some background on this issue read Peter Mills’ piece:
    http://petermills.info/articles/power-1.pdf
    http://petermills.info/articles/power-2.pdf

    I volunteer on Senator Mills’ campaign in part because of his response to the question of how Maine can benefit from wind power in a debate four years ago. Hopefully we’ll get an update soon on what’s happening with the state’s Energy Corridor Commission.

  3. Bacnet

    04. Nov, 2009

    Wind Power is one of the best alternative energy sources that we should utilize, it is very clean and non-polluting. I built a small wind generator at home which can power small appliances.

  4. Dan

    21. May, 2010

    Do you remember how single sourcing to Halliburton got everyone’s feathers in a bunch?

    Why doesn’t anyone discuss the federal governments cozy relationship with GE, it’s single sourcing with First Wind, and by the way 500 million plus single-source contract with Halliburton?

    Why doesn’t anyone wonder why AARP, SEIU, and the AFL-CIO are playing a pivotal roel in wind development in Maine, jockeying for their slice of the proceeds, thier lock on the pensions and insurance of workers ”assigned” to maintain these turbines, these bird-blenders that make your ears bleed and burn out every six months?

  5. Dan

    21. May, 2010

    Why do Towns exhaust manhours and taxpayer money to alter and re-frame thier land use ordinances (LUO) to accomodate wind power when many areas in the state do not have the sustained wind speed to make it viable? Why are they leading the public along when this is not a reality in everyone’s back-yard?

    Why is the administrations goals the goals of the churches in Maine and why are these churches preaching climate change from a faux Gore ponzi-scheme and ”pre-purchasing” energy blocks from LLC’s developing wind turbine farms using the single source First-Wind?

    I’d prefer middle-income budget solar to supplement, geothermal, nuclear, natural gas, tidal any day to wind.

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